I doubt they would have gone for an option to buy.

I doubt that is a strategy the OP's seller would go for with --5K down.But you could certainly ask!

You can offer the deed, but I doubt they take it.I'd see about getting a new loan (even a private lender) and have repairs made, bring it up a bit a sell your way out of it, but I don't know the market there.

I have few doubts that I will be successful in that endeavor.

The other one needs the money to order carpet from a wholesaler, I doubt he'll want me to pay the wholesaler myself?

I doubt many places in the nation would be the same.

The big ones I see are neighborhoods where you are buying, hiring competent management companies, propertly screening your tenants, and keeping the properties maintained properly.If you don't hit on these critical items, you are going to have trouble, there's no doubt in my mind.

And, when two people go in front of a judge, with one being a real estate investor who provided the contract and the other being a simple homeowner who had never seen the contract before, who do you think the judge is going to give the benefit of the doubt to?

I doubt that I could have gotten much more anytime soon.

I already start to doubt if this(rental) is the right strategy for me after 3 weeks of marketing and tanent screening.