This led to a painful string of unaccepted offers, learning how to formally fire a realtor, dealing with the legal mess of that, and how my mortgage broker at the time and new realtor saved my skin.

Thank you very much, that seems like a really good idea.The house I am buying comes with tenants that have lived in the property about 10 years paying their own bills, oil included ( I found out today about this) but the previous owner told me they had dried out the tank in the past which led to an expensive repair bill.

The bank will likely not allow him to hold a note as the down payment when you purchase something, they will want a little skin in the game from you.

That's the way to skin that cat!!

Use debt, my own cash, or to use private capital once my funding ran dry. 

Once you find a deal and get the investors to pay for it, you will have no skin in the game.

But it isn't cut and dried. 

There are many ways to skin the cat, and there are multiple ways the syndicator can take their fees. 

Just had it all repaired today and I needed to dry my clothes bad so I didn’t even bother asking the HOA for approval to cut a hole the old siding to install a vent exhaust because approval would take weeks.

Buying my first duplex and the inspector found some evidence of wood destroying insectsOther inspection reports:Discoloration noted at roof sheathingJoints in the masonry deteriorated and should be repointedEfflorescence noted on basement surface Concrete cracking noted which is common as concrete ages and shrinkage surface cracks are normal Cracking visible in the garage floorGarage wall had damaged dry wallDo I need to be worried about any of the above inspection reports or these are normal and morning to worry about ?