First of all, it is illegal to without deposit without documented reasons (receipts and photos).

While I appreciate his wanting to 'do the job right' (I truly respect that), I can't help but wonder if we couldn't find some sort of creative way to patch these holes?

Walk the property and take photos, then send to that buyer and say hey what would you pay (need to have trust that he won't go behind you but I trust first) then get it under contract for less than that!

I was eavesdropping so I could make out only a bit of the conversation, but what I basically surmised was this woman wasn't happy because her mom was behind on taxes, and it wasn't that much, but was still wanting to sell her home for a price she thought was too low.My question is... how do you approach someone in this situation in a respectful and compassionate way but also without losing the lead?  

@Vin Powell I respectfully disagree with Charlie; everything isn't negotiable in real estate.

The grout lines are almost invisible in the photo, but you can see them a little in the reflection where the backsplash meets the cabinet on the right side above the sink.

Not high end, but looked nice for the photos!

Do you or they have photos of bats?

I'm the best example with respect to these two options: I'm doing cash-out refis when I know that I want to expand my portfolio for sure in the foreseeable future.

When you moved out you should've taken photos/video as proof of the condition of the apartment.