If you rather pay it, create a PM structure and pay PM fees to it to create active income.

She'll be talking everything from Tax Strategies of the SUPER Wealthy all the way down to how to structure your LLC's for the best tax benefits.

I'm actively making deals, but most out this way want too close to Market value as supply is diminishing.   

They may charge you a small fee, where a full set of  plans with structural and mechanicals will cost you 12-15k these should only cost a few hundred. 

I would advise my sellers to counter them at 280,000 as they’ve already supplied evidence that they are willing to pay that price.

AKA the actual rate of return on a property you are feeding will generally be poor and you would be better off with a better cash flowing rental or in the stock market.Of course, if you found a great appreciating market or structured the debt to be shorter term, feeding a rental could work out well.

I don’t know what causes the concrete blocks (walls of the house) to crack like that and am worried about an underlying issue that will lead to expensive structural problems that I will be liable for if I purchase.

Many residential structures need to be ADA compliant.

Class A & B office leases are structured with a 95% occupancy gross up provision which allows the LL to pass through variable costs to the Tenant as if the project is 95% occupied. 

Of course, there are so many ways to structure financing depending on the specific situation.