Is your main goal to find an effective marketing person at a good price or to pay your son rather than give him money to help him out while unemployed?

Or is having a signed receipt effective (showing the seller received the EMD)?  

Anything taking longer than that to pay for itself I'll analyze further to consider other ways it'll effect the property or my equity position.

It had a great effect of my life and I'm sure it can do the same for you.

. :)Many Real Estate investors think that the regulation called The Dodd Frank Act which takes effect January 10th, 2014 will eliminate Creative/seller financing as we know it.Is Creative/seller financing dead because of Dodd Frank?

It hasn't seemed to effect house prices yet but buyers seem to be a little more cautious.

If I am and my offer is considered ridiculously low,how will this effect my credibility in the sight of the agent and my potential buyers?

Instead, your model effectively pre-sells the properties by bringing in novice investors/buyers early in the process.  

We explained this scheme by banks to limit the amount of available for sale inventory as follows: "since the properties not entering the foreclosure pipeline are effectively kept out of inventory, even shadow inventory, and thus the distressed end market, the monthly drop in foreclosures has acted as a form of subsidy to the housing market, as month after month less inventory than otherwise should, enters the market....

Craigslist is pretty effective!