I approached them because I had a promising deal on the table but needed fast funding without complications.

That said, if she's claiming she still owns the place, there might be an extra layer of complication if she can prove her claims and/or hires an attorney herself. 

Moving forward, save religiously, build your credit, and limit unnecessary debt.

Saves you from the fees and unnecessary churn. 

However, these situations can be complicated, and it's to your benefit to have a realtor on your side (if you don't already) to help you negotiate and stay within the law.Your post was pretty general, which I appreciate, but I don't know if I handled all of the concerns someone in your shoes would have.

Personally I see money orders as a pain to deal with both for the tenant and for myself by adding unnecessary steps. 

If it's not considered a sale, it's even more complicated. 

In Alabama, the rules are complicated and subtle.

There are plenty of reasons to title your real estate in LLC's but those who approach entity formation with anonymity as the objective are mistaken and usually complicate the entity formation process unnecessarily. 2.

I did a deal last fall with 6 lawyers involved: they added so much unnecessary drama and cost and time to the deal, it’s amazing we made ever made it to the closing table.