The best bet would be to contact the lien holder and see if they would accept a partial payment to release the lien from the property, but not from the brother individually.

I would be willing to bet its a huge hugeHUGE problem with moisture.

However, you will have learned an interesting angle that I bet the vast majority of agents won't know.

Also if you have enough cash without it then there won't likely be any "seasoning" issues but if you HAD to use that cash you would want it sitting in the bank for a couple months so they don't give you a hard time about odd huge deposits.Also since you said you would live in it to start at least the last plan of taking out a HELOC on the new place right after buying it is totally fine.  

I bet the seller would be motivated if you made a cash offer with no contingency and any weasel clause.Joe Gore

@Benjamin Andrew Pogue  Let's interpret "optimal" and "sweet spot" to mean:a) you can find one fairly easilyb) you can rent it fairly quicklyc) it will cash flow and the likelihood of you losing money is lowWith those assumptions, your best bet is 3/2/2 in a subdivision where it is easy to determine value (After Repair Value based on comparable sales AND likely rent) and where home prices are 50-80% of the median home price for your area (working class neighborhoods). 

you sound like me not too long ago....... i so wish I would of held out for renters with better credit..... late every (EVERY) month atleast a week or two..... have to constantly call to get rent..... willing to bet that the one month deposit i made them give up front will ( in their head) be the rent i dont get before they move out.

I will have to set up a tenant information sheet, I see, as the number change just seemed odd as it was his New York number on his cell during the whole year he was down in Florida.

Oddly enough something as pulling up your shirt to draw a gun from a new holster that isn't broken in can be quite difficult.

Unless you are having a ton of piping remove I doubt that you had $300 of scrap copper so it is slightly odd to me that they would have increased their quote that much also, but I don't know your exact situation.