I offered $20,500 and he accepted.

yes that will most likely disqualify it from VA. you should just remove it. call a local contractor to see how, if they don't want to do it they may be kind enough to tell you how to. since its not popcorn ceiling the chances of it hurting you are almost 0. once it's removed, get your home tested for air quality and provide that to the VA loan officer and you should be good to go

On the flip side, I could tear down the screen porch, which was a poorly-done addition anyway and have the tank removed.The cost of the abandonment is $2500 + soil testing which may be up to $4,000 out of pocket costs for a state-mandated site test.

I offered $100,000 and they accepted.

So I passed the test several months ago and now have my license, yet I was never very interested by real estate.

(The good news is, my offer got accepted and I just purchased my first parcel of vacant land, a really beautiful lot with a view! 

It depends if you do though try to make sure that it is not the exact same person managing and selling, more acceptable if it is the same company though.

Yes, I negotiated, the owner was asking $25k, I offered $5k expecting a counter, but he accepted the $5k cash.

I also turn my tenants into my own little army of recruiters to help me find new potential tenants and if they refer me to somebody that I end up accepting I give them 200 bucks cash.

Doing this you will reduce your tenant locks outs as well as lower your lock change cost at every turnover from him on out.Don't accept personal checks.