**************/mvc/auction/810929So buying it is a gamble that the owner never pays it off and you could foreclosure on the house.However if owner pays it off then you would loose everything over the $85 you pay?

In MA, there are 4 types of lead hazards that need to be abated.  1) Loose lead paint. 

Try to investigate and perhaps popping sound from loose floors at night(screw subfloor not use nails).

@Stephen Meche Just be aware if you push back too hard they can easily go online and get an emotional support animal letter and you will loose the ability to charge an additional deposit, evict, or do anything else other than say "ok, you win". 

However, your payday sounds substantial and if you step out, you loose the upside if buyer defaults and just have to step back in and fix it.

I'm a former military officer and ran into a similar issue with one of my soldiers (he had pet ferrets running around loose in his trailer and practiced amateur chainsaw sculpting on logs inside).You want to get in touch with his company commander or even better his First Sergeant.

Too many on the market and will loose out huge. 

If you want to build up a rental portfolio and that property is cash flowing, it may not make sense to loose the cash flow if you aren't able reinvest the money into something with equal or greater cashflow.

Cost of work to do value adds also would add up.. its a low income building so it’s never going to be “nice” but can definitely get more rent as it sits, $50 per unit as they turnover, the 5 retail spaces are vacant and would need rehab but those are just sitting loosing money.

If you don't purchase or perform on the purchase in most cases you will loose your option money that you put up.