We're also tied down by my wife's job and the fact that we have kids.

An owner is selling three properties and has the price all tied into one.

While the city itself has had population decline in some neighborhoods, Cuyahoga County as a whole has had it's population remain remarkable consistent over the past decade, with around 1.25m residents.Source: https://worldpopulationreview....

All other items remain unchanged.

I can see it as potentially tax deductible in the occupations where income is directly tied to the appearance and where you can argue that you would not be incurring such expense if not in the business.

Firstly, give him the benefit of the doubt and remain friendly and professional.  

Another wholesaler would tie up your original contract and try to find a buyer, you would no longer control the deal.If another wholesaler already has a buyer then have them put down EM with you before you assign and make sure their buyer has the means to close.

He would build then sell the house + lot (it's essentially a loan to him so he has some capital to play with since it appears most of his is currently tied up). - The return has a hefty minimum but can go higher depending on the sale price

@An Duong it's really up to you whether it's a good enough deal for you to agree to that.I will say, besides the two years of below-market rent, you should also factor the cost of an eviction into your thinking.It may not end with an eviction, and if it doesn't then you'll have saved some money, but I would go into it with the assumption you'll have to do one since I think there's a non-negligible chance of that.In a negotiation, sometimes it can be helpful to try to figure out the other person's motivations and find other ways to meet it.For example, if he's worried about being able to afford market rent, then if it's $200 below market a month, and you don't want to tie the unit up for a second year, maybe you offer to pay $2400 more at closing and only have him there for one year.If he really likes the area, maybe you find him an apartment in the area and offer to pay his security deposit, a moving company, and X months of rent to get him started.

The "detached apartment" model remains a mystery to most, as the majority of the mobile home parks in the U.S. do not agree with that model -- but you are correct that in some parts of the U.S. the low lot rent (typically around $100 per month or less) makes the straight land rent business not compelling.