They offered to split the payments so I could pay half now and half in 40 days but still even $4K is a lot for me right now.  

So yes, creating the LLC for your business is a good idea even if you don't immediately transfer properties into it.Question #2: Transferring your properties into an LLC does offer liability protection, which can be crucial in the event of legal issues.

It offers you a home and a strategy to grow your investment portfolio.

In my opinion their data isn't significant for finding deals, but when it comes time to present an offer I don't know where you'd get sufficient data to do so other than CoStar.

Would you send over the offer terms in a seller-financing contract or send over the potential returns for seller based on analysis?

If they have $20K in the bank, that would offer additional reassurances of their financial stability.

Similarly, mountain retreats and ski resorts with increasing popularity for outdoor activities offer strong seasonal STR potential worth considering.

Here's what I would strongly offer apart from many of the other great suggestions made by other team members. 1.

If it's between november - february and you get an offer from an insurance company it maybe worth it than leaving it vacant. you can extra 10-20% and you can blow through some of the cold months so when you do have to find a new tenant, it should be easier and rent should be higher.

I made an offer on the spot!