A dollar amount and the phrase "for good and valuable consideration" may or may sufficient in a transfer of title and may not be the same as described or required in a purchase contract that conveys an equitable interest.Mixing these two concepts is incorrect.When a purchase contract is made, legal title remains with the seller, but equitable title is given to a buyer, full title is in  state of limbo until settlement.Equitable title must be financially measurable, if it is not measurable or cannot be established and is an amount customarily accepted, equitable title may be limited or may not exist.

You're competing with investors who don't need to account for a wholesale profit, so you'll almost always be better off with off-market motivated sellers.Best wishes - keep me in mind as a buyer if you find a good deal.Mike

I guess what i am really asking is how do i separate the motivated sellers from those i cannot make a deal with. 

You find a motivated seller, get that property under contract for a steep discount, find a cash buyer to assign the contract to, and make your profit on the difference in what you contracted the property for, and what you sell to the cash buyer for.

Dallas is under-priced and with the out-migration of Californians, prices have room to grow there especially if rates remain low.

i am looking at a commercial building asking price 1.5million, 15 units 13 are occupied.rent roll is 171k when fully occupied, presently its 131k expense are 60kthe seller is not motivated, so how do I structure the deal so we both win. 

There is no better motivation then the excitement of a good deal!

The silver lining, of course, is that rates are still lower than almost all of September and the average conventional 30yr fixed rate remains in the high 3's.

I inherit a lot of tenants buying from motivated sellers with bad mgt.  

My name is JD and I'm 40, hungry, motivated and with no safety net so I have to make this work.