It's a much easier transaction for you and them.  

Buying a foreclosure property expect that it is going to need some significant work to get it sellable - so consider it a fix and flip.Not seeing too many short sales today but be patient as they can take a long timeIf you are starting out, it depends on your level of risk as mls I would consider lower risk than foreclosure since you can actually see the property

Elderly woman in her 80's needs to remodel her 2 bathrooms.

How much money or how many partners do you have? 

@Cory Churchill I'm still bullish on the Bryson City market (I live, work, and invest here) but you definitely need to make sure you get your numbers right and make sure you are getting a good property. 

She has been trying to BORROW the funds she needs $550K to pay off the Husband and another $300K of additional funds (Totaling $850K) so that she has the EXTRA borrowed funds to be able to make 2-3 years of payments on the financing (versus raiding her retirement account).

Some strategies are much easier than others, and it is much safer to start with these (househacking, buy and hold single families, etc..).

Zillow rent estimator predicts $3000/month I’m not looking to cash flow much year 1.

There seems to usually be something that needs fixing or updating when you buy it but how do you know when it's too much?

I'm in urgent need of some guidance on the best way to approach this matter before pursuing litigation.