Do research on the home buying process so it's less stressful.

You could submeter utilities and have tenants pay their own thus reducing that expense, and unless the landscaping is really nice, you could likely make the tenants responsible for that as well.As to your reasons1.

Ask him what scope of work he could have done for whatever reduced fee you would have needed to offer what it sold for.

I want to structure it in such a way that we are paid back so that the loan balance can be reduced quickly.

I'm an agent in a high cost of living area and the first couple "hurdles" a house hack financial analysis needs to clear are "will the buyer reduce their housing cost" and "will the buyers housing cost be lower than market rent"?

Not being in property management for their primary revenue stream reduces the chances for inflated fees and trip charges, 3.

Because fewer units reduce your economics of scale and will never allow the property to produce enough income to warrant the work involved. 

First couple of properties never turn out the way you expect, so just accept that it will be a little harder and stressful, but each subsequent property will get easier.

If this is an “as is” sale and already discounted some, then certain things may not be reasonable to reduce the price for.

@Bud Gaffney, waive your commission and ask Seller to reduce the price by a corresponding amount.