He says if I pay him full asking, he would provide me with the 20% down payment since we could avoid realtor fees, and make up the rest by paying full asking (he had it appraised), rather than accepting an offer under asking.

I've been in real estate since 2015 and currently offer accounting services to investors.

when looking at real estate websites, oftentimes I see "offers due by" some datefor example "offers due by may 12"what does this deadline mean?

Seller is an idiot for even accepting your offer.

There's nothing better than getting an FHA or conventional offer accepted by an unsuspecting seller, knowing you will have plenty of opportunity to re negotiate once the appraisal comes back.

I managed the properties myself, and was offered a job out of state that required long-term international travel. 

Happy to offer up some more insights if you're interested.

This could be with a full-time job in any industry.

The reality is that pms have a very tough job.

I have a good income producing job, however, I have a 6 member household with teens, preteens, and children who are eating up my house like Pacman, lol.