I was told I had a case but the guy was asking for 10 thousand retainer lol Laugh 😆 

You retained him and kept with him all the way through everything and only now, everything done set to close, ONLY now it's an issue and not one where you want anything addressed, anything answered for, no the only act is "how can I NOT pay this bill I owe". 

Poverty grinds people down and even working with people enduring poverty grinds people down (landlords, social workers, teachers, ministers, whomever...).In class D neighborhoods, it is possible (though sometimes difficult) to find and retain tenants of good character AND for tenants, finding landlords that do a great job maintaining decent housing and that treat tenants fairly are rare.

You may be able to do this because the 51% owner is deemed to only have transferred 49% by looking through the partnership and be viewed as still retaining 51%. 

The goal would be to retain ownership, I just wasn't sure if there's a scenario in which I have to give the buyer back their deposit or at least some of it.

Retain a probate atty.

I offer without an agent but reserve the right to retain one if my offer is countered.   

The average STR owner spends much more on home/property  improvements because they have to in order to retain a 5 star rating.c) Having these STRs in pristine condition raises the property values of the neighborhood, thereby raising the property tax eventually.d) Studies have shown that a strong STR presence in a city will actually raise tourism in that area.

It would be tricky to get a USDA loan while retaining the current home, at least if you're trying to use departure residence income to qualify.I made a video about this recently. https://youtu.be/iZ1OMKWfjFgIf he can qualify for both loans without rental income, then you shouldn't have a problem.

@Mike KedzioraBefore even reading the responses or contemplating the numbers on sale further, I’d personally 100% keep renting it out because that’s amazing cash flow.If you sell, you incur closing costs, and taxes on profit, and it’s really hard to put that money to work on a comparative cash flow deal in this super hot sellers market.Besides, you can tap into the equity using a HELOC tax free, possibly using it to invest in the next rental property, while retaining the original and the great cash flow / mortgage payoff and / appreciation over coming decades that you’ll reap the benefits of.ORYou could cash-out refinance and pull that money out tax free, Then use that cash to buy the next property.