I have prior owner, date of deed transfer to bank, original mortgage amount.

I know little about them except to say that here in Pennsylvania, you cannot avoid transfer taxes with a land trust.  

I suggest you not tape a list of strategies to a wall and throw a dart at it.

Mud around the opening and insert the patch, wiping the mud from the wings like you would for drywall tape. 

I have a W-2 job with a 401k through them, but I also own my own company and have opened a 401k/profit sharing plan with it and transferred my old 401k money into it.

There is no direct support underneath the rim of that structure other than the two posts at the stairs so your point load is transferring to the ground only through those two posts, the stair connection and whatever fasteners are holding the ledger board in place.

Her father was at the home, and showed me basically everything in the house that he would replace, this list included new counter tops, new cabinets, buying new doors for the interior of the home (lol), and re-painting the walls (previous home owners didn't know about painter's tape).

Are you transferring your job from MD to VA, or starting over?

You don't.The deposit money should have been transferred to the now owner from the previous owner at settlement, usually as a credit off the sale price.

Are checks/receipts/proof of payments needed or would transfers be ok?