The seller wants to stay on as a tenant for a year as their child finishes school and then they will move... at a reduced rate of $1525.00 per month.

May be a comfortable placeholder.(8) Landscaping and driveway: $10,000 (your guess).

Would still recommend making the offer you're comfortable with if you love the house and fundamentally its a good deal

@John StrockDepending on your comfort level with risk, there are a few great neighborhoods for BRRRR. 

Please note that specific information such as the property address and names of those directly or indirectly involved in this particular real estate transaction were intentionally omitted to maintain confidentiality given delicate subject matter of/affecting health, life and safety.IntroductionHaving provided carbon monoxide (CO) testing of gas utilization equipment for well over ten years during the 1980's and 1990's in addition to having learned about the production, mitigation, prevention, testing, and harmful effects of elevated levels of carbon monoxide due to incomplete combustion of natural gas utilization equipment from a recognized leader/foremost authority on carbon monoxide testing in the industry by the name of Jim Davis—senior carbon monoxide/combustion trainer and consultant for the National Comfort Institute (NCI), who began traveling the country during the 80's and 90's conducting carbon monoxide training seminars for building and HVAC contractors, building inspectors, utility companies and virtually anyone interested in learning about carbon monoxide testing and proven methods to mitigate and prevent gas utilization equipment from producing elevated levels of carbon monoxide in flue gas known to cause CO poisoning—has without a doubt proven invaluable in heightening my awareness of conditions conducive to/indicative of incomplete combustion known to result in elevated/unsafe levels of CO in flue gas.

I'm feeling much more comfortable to get positive on my monthly in/out, so wouldn't it make much more sense to make a %50 downpayment on the mortgage? 

Instead of attending one 3-hour networking event for the week, you can possibly attend 2 per day from the comfort of your own home.

Don't feel comfortable risking what took me over 5 years to accumulate

I'm comfortable with that as that should be around an 11% cash-on-cash return ($2400 annual / $21k = 11.4% cash-on-cash).It's not a home run by any means but I'm content with it.

Now I feel more comfortable.