The amount of time spent going round-and-round on trying to get what was advertised, and the other party going round-and-round on trying to avoid offering what was advertised, is a giant time suck.

It is really best if you hire cleaning and repairs to avoid dispute over the actual cost.

The numbers are much better if you can avoid the on site manager.

If the seller has equity in the home, there is often a way to help them avoid foreclosure by buying the property and paying off the mortgage that is in default. 

EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!

If your thinking about using hard money, you need to be able to move quickly on renovating properties to avoid additional financial and mental stress of a hard money loan.

This is an easy way to spot and avoid a scammer – they won’t have any reviews or, if they do, they won’t be good.

Does anyone have any idea why this clause is being included and what to look into to avoid any disasters with what I'm assuming could be zoning issues?

By doing that, you avoided having to deal with the seller's problem.

Biting the bullet and agreeing to the agents 3% when the reason for listing it myself was to avoid commission, but a full ask on the first showing is nice.