I'm sure there is more than one way to skin this cat.

Market rent is about $2,200 right now, and could go as high as $3,000 if I added some sparkle (or an additional bedroom).My wife and I wants to buy it from him, but we're trying to figure out the best way to do it to reduce taxes (property / assessment, income, excise) and puts us all in a better financial situation (short-term and long-term).If they were to sell it on the open market for $300k, they'd incur 10% selling costs (closing costs, realtor commissions, excise tax) of $30k and get $270k in cash before taxes. 

I get locking up the deal and having some skin in the game but 5k is ridiculous.

As @Russell Brazil said this business is built on relationships, you are an outside investor with no skin in the game in that particular market...

Without this document, you could effectively be buying the property with no skin in the game which just about any bank will catch and not allow.  

You'll have no skin in the game, and2.

Most, if not all private money/hard money lenders today will require you to put some skin (contribute cash) into the project.

However; if you do finance your deals, how much skin in the game do your lenders require?

Market prices are what properties are actually selling for, not what some website with no skin in the game zestimates they are worth...C sold for $23K 18 months ago, and B sold for $11K about 14 months ago.http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/5803-Hunting-Rid...http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/5803-Hunting-Rid...HOA fee being so high is what's keeping the price of these units so low, IMO.

I'm just looking for somebody that I can go to for advice and if it takes splitting the first 5 or 10 deals I'm cool with that b/c They make money if I make money so we both will have a little skin in the game.