Lastly, if I want seller to take care of the liens, do I just stipulate in the contract?

This allows you to withdraw funds only when they are needed (after you have found the property or are under contract) and save on some interest.

2) When people talk about putting a house under contract, does this mean they've put an offer in with contingency, or is this some form of creative financing?

Just to be on the safe side, I would suggest you consult legal counsel to get a definitive answer regarding this, but if you'd like to read the civil code pertaining to security deposits you can do so by following the link below:http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_disp...Hope this helps and good luck!

I guess the biggest question I would ask is "Why are you asking here, instead of getting solid legal advice for the attorney you want to partner with?"

He asked me how he would go about raising the rent, and possibly converting the lease to a paper contract agreement.So my question to you is the same.

Oct. 6, he texts me in the morning that the listing agent finally got back to him saying a contract was accepted. 

When selling a property via owner financing are there any terms beyond the obvious (price, term, interest rate, late charges, ect... ) that I should have my attorney build in to the contract?

I've never worked directly for or with a contracting company, but have been involved in multiple reconstruction/rehab projects.

The DBA is the business name, but YOU are the sole proprietor and file under your Personal SSN.Look at the DBA filing - - there is no SSN or TIN as it is also known.If you want to file under something other than your SSN, the create an LLC or S-Corp - - seek legal assistance to do so and to understand the tax implications.