Hello Murray, Assuming the new owners are interested in selling, you'd want to offer enough to help them cover their transfer taxes, legal/title fees, other closing costs, and possibly their moving costs. 

As you read these books, watch the BiggerPockets podcasts.

Unlike personal property, real estate also requires agreement on closing date, repairs, etc., so even if list price, cash is offered, another term might not work, so likely no way to hold a seller to sell until they actually sign an offer.

Closing up holes is part of preventing them from coming back in and also preventing them from traveling throughout the house.  

I gave up because I need 2 rooms and it was impossible to find two rooms even close to each other. 

Fountain, Colorado is very close to Fort Carson.

@Josh Randall thanks for asking, I should get a better idea over the coming month, your point about experience, one of them has been in the business for close to 20 yrs, and did very well until the music stopped, the euphoria of the crazy returns got to many, and the game changed from running properties well to flipping properties fast, Asset management wasn't given the attention it deserves because you were in and out before it mattered.

If our agent pays him via checks and bills us at closing, does this have any +ve or -ve impact on the taxes? 

Account Closed Some might view wholesaling as ethically problematic because the wholesaler doesn't have a duty to anyone but himself and is thus incentivized to make the worst possible deal for both the seller and the buyer in every transaction.

In times such as this with high interest rates, or to have a competative offer, you might offer all cash at a lower price with a short closing time frame to a seller in order to get a good deal.