I earned an option fee at the initiation of the transaction.

Likewise, if a potential lender does not trust a potential borrower they should not waste their time proceeding toward a transaction.

Hi Linda, I guess I am not getting the full story in the beginning of the transaction...You have to buy out one member of the group?

Investor, "yes your Honor, but here is a disclosure we used as well".Okay Mr Investor, were either of you represented in this transaction?

I would love to find a consistent source of funds for these transactions.

(ex: a)approve for $100K and you can use that all for one home or in increments on different homes over time or b) $75K for the first transaction and then you reapply for your next transaction?

The value of an option can be determined and in residential transactions most don't go through the brain damage of properly valuing an option, generally it is no more than 10% of the strike price or sale price. 

I just had a transaction where I was the listing agent and the buyers agent came to me and said we have to push closing back two weeks because the lender is busy and they had a backup of files in underwriting.

Way to much paperwork if you ask me for most real estate transactions. 

The more sophisticated attorney's know how to do this, one of the advantages is that no funds are exchanged in advanced and the original seller does not have to be made aware of the subsequent transaction.