I was hot with a barrage (helpful) that I would be breaking the law unless I and/or he had a real estate license.

Second, a little more back story, my father in law has worked with this contractor a few times over the years, he assures me all work will be to code and the work will be done right.

I found it a good overview with a few errors about local laws in my area.

Look for the law to change.

Add that to your documentation.If illegal drugs are involved, it might be worth your time to contact your local law enforcement.

It takes thousands of hours of "practice" to do it well. :)  It's also simple to learn just no where close to easy to execute. 

Because the laws are very complex in this area.Here's a simplified example. 

In addition to the commission that is technically owed by you, but in practice is almost always offset by the listing agent cooperation fee (usually 2.5-3.0%, at least in my area), there is sometimes a flat fee or admin fee changed by the buyer broker.  

Enforcement of HOA rules falls under civil law.

It’s a single family home with a full apartment-like in-laws suite upstairs that can’t be rented as a separate apartment (no separate utilities, permits, etc.)