One more tip – people remember stories that trigger their emotions.

What's your next move? 

Im looking at 7% however I think a better safe guard for me to have enough skin in the game is to move the sales price higher just in case he decides to pay off the loan earlier.

The seller needs moving money, there are oftentimes an arrears that has to be paid on the loan, there are oftentimes HOA fees that are due, there are title costs, there are escrow costs, usually there is deferred maintenance, you have to make mortgage payments out of pocket until you get a renter in there, you have to pay utilities and taxes, and you need reserves in case it all doesn't go as planned.3.

is there a vacant unit for you to move into?

I have the keys and have begun moving items into the unit, but am not yet occupying it.The landlord has now informed me that he would like to agree to some sort of buyout of the lease because he is having problems with the local municipality for fire and sprinkler approvals.

Either buy all cash and do a cash purchase refi immediately and move the funds to the next purchase.

It also is helpful to have a California LLC in case you ever sell that property and move into another state so that you do not need to form a new LLC altogether with new operating agreement, just re-register in the new state as a new foreign LLC.

If I do move, I'm considering a house hack on a multi-family, ideally a 4-plex.Honestly, I'm familiar with downtown Houston, Spring, The Woodlands, etc. but nothing past the Galleria on the West side. 

our single best exercise move was to move to AZ in the winter.