Hi @Brian Gibbons, thanks for sharing this alternative solution.  

I am unable to qualify for an FHA loan on my own. The good news - I have a co-signer. The bad news - I will have to put 20% on the duplex instead of 3.5% since I am in need of a co-signer. That'd be tying up quite a b...

Heading closer to Boston you have the Boston Area REIA in Medford and the Black Diamond meeting in Waltham (Alternating months with their Worcester location, next one in Sep).

is it there annother alternative to protect myself from these that i dont know about.I do check official records, water liens etc . dont bid in cases where the hoa is the plantiff anything else i have to be aware off .

Wilmington has always seemed like an alternative kind of place? 

Might finding a lot and building a plex new be an alternative?

Alternatively, you could partner-up with an investor type who has his/her own documents drafted to their specs and feed them deals as a lead generator (aka bird dog). 

I still see merit in my Lease plus ROFR and Lease plus Contract for Option to Purchaseas an alternative to the Lease with option to purchase.And a Lease and Delayed Sale and Purchase agreement with 3% non refundable earnest money I think is much preferable to to a Lease with Option to Purchase.

@Hector Perez I like to mix it up. 1 letter professional and the next handwritten, I would alternate between the 2.

The first is that the FHA alternatives are going to cost less than FHA loans.