(this is called negative phrasing or being a reluctant buyer, if you come off like an enthusiastic salesperson, the seller gets defensive, but if you use this reluctant sales talk, the seller will keep you there in the interview if he is sincere about getting it done)Now the part of the OPs question, how can I keep most of the option fee and not piss off the seller?

I will sell and list Homes of course but I'm very enthusiastic💆 about this site as certainly  I hope to gain great professional  partnerships. 

I like learning about real estate & am enthusiastic about joining the Bigger Pockets community. 

And it's funny how you will work harder and it stay motivated and enthusiastic about the next deal, when your doing it with the primary goal of helping someone get into nice home they will love and enjoy living in and raising their family.Once I changed my primary goal to helping my tenants not just helping myself, my growth exploded.  

Be enthusiastic, but don't get overanxious to hurry up and accumulate more and more properties!

The stadium project also includes homes, a city park, a hotel, commercial development, and a new casino.

Sharp as a tack, enthusiastic and expert in your industry - Jordan BelfordFrank

Looking for other ways to find sellers who have just inherited a property and are enthusiastic about letting it go for a price.

Hemet is only 90 miles from LA,has a population of about 90,000 and is close to 2 major employers( casinos )The area also has a good size senior population and the town is still recovering from the foreclosure crisis but there has been a lot of sales due to the lower prices as compared to LA.You have to filter the listings and view the short sale,foreclosures and straight sales to get an accurate picture.As an investor you need to stick to your criteria and then search Hemet to evaluate what is really going on beneath the surface .

I realize that you are not impressed with the housing stock/deals in your immediate vicinity and neither enthusiastic about going out of state as I did.You might want to look for a small multifamily unit within a 5-25 mile radius of your current home.