When two strangers agree on a price for a real estate transaction, for example, the IRS accepts the number as the actual market price. 

You'd need to line itemize the closing costs and tell us how much you're buying the property for to get a real opinion of where you might be getting hosed, if anywhere.For an example, on a recent $200k cash purchase closing I had here in Raleigh, I paid $550 to the attorney for his fee to conduct the title search and close the loan (this is higher than I typically pay but I closed at an atty's office that I don't usually close at due to other semantics surrounding the deal itself and the seller). 

I am the live example with results.

If doing a virtual tour, get an example of what they are doing...

Britney King Start Fresh Renovations LLC

For example an existing investor that brings another friend in.

On the institutional side, investment bankers are the best examples of placement agents / advisors. 

@Blake Gansborg,My favorite non-text book about real estate finance is: What Every Real Estate Investor Needs to Know About Cash Flow by Frank GallinelliI does an excellent job of breaking down different financial metrics and giving good examples.

@Ashish Acharya   thanks can you think of an example structure that would "mitigate these kind of situations?"

The fresh rehab usually means low capex.