Wins the auction, puts his deposit down, then at settlement is surprised by the $150k bombshell.  

If you make the relationship win/win- the agent will provide you w/ the comps you needRedfin is a good resource for developing comps.  

 you are right I think - so the object is to align those interests. the best way, it appears is to me, is to have a partnership on the project with one person the GC and the other the money/admin/finder of deals - that seems to work well, and that is something I am looking for myself - it makes it a win-win, and if everyone has skin in the game, everyone will be doing their best. but there is the finding and proving of trust period that has to come first and that is tricky?

Don't give in the the instant gratification, invest in yourself and your business and you can have a garage full of fast sports cars in your future!

--------I'm under no illusions that this is a good deal, but I wanted to see if there was a possibility of doing something creative to make a win/win for us both. 

@Craig Hanlon  depends on the asset and were it is.. many assets that are buy and hold will appraise or comp for higher than you pay for them giving the illusion of instant equity.. the issue is you will generally never be able to sell and capture that equity... its phantom.But if you buy 30% below market of todays ARV in say Vegas or SF or Manhantan or even my little portlandia then your equity is real and can be captured. and in my mind 6% would be great.. but not if your buying in one of the areas were all you hear is appreciation is icing on the cake those areas generally never move in value.. so you need higher cash flow to substantiate the purchase or the reason to invest there in the first place.

Seems like a win win, assuming they will accept their money back.

I did however send a follow up email explaining that I am wanting to create win-win situations for the both of us along with helping out if possible with whatever the issue is or may be.

If not, do the back and fourth until you agree to a win/win.

I changed to Schlage electronic keypad (great for nicer areas and vacation rental type houses as you can change code easily and instantly and give a code to your cleaners) but battery had to be replaced surprisingly early (about 1 year - supposed to last 3) Your application dictates which lock is best.