The seller owed on a mortgage to the point where they needed to show up to closing with a check for over $25k to make up the difference!

We are close to Asheville, NC. 

It seems a more truthful approach is to help them sell their property and avoid the credit hit a foreclosure will produce since you are trying to buy the property (to flip or rent) rather than help them stay in their home.

She put minimal down and utilized some state assistance to offset closing costs.

If you decide the terms for a home equity loan are more favorable compared to the HELOC then it's just a matter of knowing exactly how much you need for closing on a specific property because you don't want to get stuck paying on debt that you aren't planning on using right away.

This approach allowed us to move quickly and efficiently, ensuring the project stayed on track.

If you're looking to do a fix and flip - you'll need to come to the table with at least 10% towards the purchase price + closing costs.

Things happen for sure but I wanted to make sure that other investors were aware of that PM and to stay away.

I just closed on my first property yesterday!!!! 

The buyer must come up with the difference between the seller(s) current mortgage balance and agreed upon sales price, plus closings costs.