Having your property professionally designed will in the end make your home more attractive to buyers.

I just listened to a short podcast talking about Uber co-founder Garrett Camp's recent launch of Haus.

Ray Agosto hey there are varies sites and ways to go about with Direct Mail Long story short Pick a target areaGet zip codes Set your parameters And Mail consistently You can get list for Listsource,Usleadslist,Melissa data And just do a google search for people that provide mailings

In my experience around my area, the credit unions and small independent banks always have more attractive terms.

-Turn the house into a short-term rental when I move out next spring/summer and finally have my first Investment property!

The Short answer is this: While you are correct that you would be paying down the balance of the mortgage you would not however be in a position to pay for any surprise that might come up and need you attention and you money...

Should I close a short sale deal with a title company or an attorney?

The snippets of the lease you mentioned are quite short and not enough to see if it will cover you to do the full investigation on the buyer of the business.  

Three months is not that long so you have to ask yourself: are you in this for the long run or the short term?

So I'd say the seller(s) should consult with an attorney or accountant, but it's possible they may owe much less than 15% or nothing.Also as Account Closed said, seller financing is also often attractive to people who are concerned about taking a big tax hit in one year - instead it's "pay small amounts as you go, over time as you receive the money" and is great for a number of reasons (no or a favorable interest rate for you, no bank BS, build long-term relationships and credibility with future sellers, possibility to discount in future with a payoff offer, etc.).It's worth having in your mental toolbox even if you don't use it on this deal.