Cara, I have an elderly mother and my siblings and I are in a bit of the same situation.

Thanks @Cara Lonsdale, this is some great information!

@Cara Lonsdale - Understood and thank you.

So make friends.Offer to give the seller a pay-off bonus if you sell the property before the mortgage is due - offer a 10% bonus.Make the seller your partner (known as an Hybrid offer) offer to clean up the building - he gives you the deed and you split the profit in the future.Ask the seller to refinance - you take over the mortgage (subject to)  - he gets the cash and you get the building for nothing down.Offer to give him something he wants - a car - a truck - a plan ticket - those items are easy to financing - seller gets a truck and you get the house and the payments on the truck.Offer seller additional collateral - another house you have, or your mothers house - offer a co-signer.Appeal to the seller - I am new help me - I have good credit - I am trying to get started ---- I have a cosigner. 

Or are you saying it has an attached 2 car as well as a detached 2 car?

@Cara Lonsdale I would call the water company and find out what the procedure is for getting the pipe back installed and find out who's responsible for that cost. 

Originally posted by @Cara Lonsdale:Is there a way to access the equity in your primary residence and purchase 2 4-plexes simultaneously so that you can obtain conventional financing AND get the unit count you are looking for? 

Originally posted by @Cara Lonsdale:You just want a ball park, and I can give you that.In general, I categorize flips 3 ways; lipstick on a pig, light rehab, and full gutLipstick on a Pig - $2K-$6K - This could be as little as giving the property a GOOD cleaning, to repainting, replacing some light fixtures and ceiling fans, buying new appliances for the kitchen, and cleaning up the landscaping. 

@Cara Lonsdale Absolutely!

Cara, you are correct.The sales rep told his boss that he needed a warehouse space.