I had it in writing at 60k so it was frustrating to see especially after paying my lawyer for the initial contract which was simply a waste of money if he had no intention of selling it on contract in the first place. 

In a Sub to the deed gets transferred thus giving you 100% ownership of the property but the underlying security instrument stays in the old owners name and you simply keep making payments. you now have 100% control with little to no risk since nothing is in your name (assuming you are smart enough to never own real estate in your personal name).Worst case scenario if your world ends and you can't make payments or the loan is called due and you can't pay is deed it back to the seller and move on. 

This is not you paying interest - it is simply, straight up, a fee that you are paying for the lender to give you a lower interest rate. 

Determine your goal. 2.

My question is how do you determine what a good deal is ?

I paid 440k for it and wrote off 420k year one.. and got it with 20k down.. kind of like buying an RV..  20 year loan 5% interest payments were only 3k a month.. that kind of freedom and fun you simply cant put a price on.. 

The answer to those questions will determine your exit strategy. 

It is very helpful to know that simply connecting someone could be considered brokering, so thank you for that! 

Lost buyer.I contacted my HOA requesting they redo the job, and take pictures /  determine if there was a mold problem. 

When I determined that I would be in NYC for a long time, I bought a duplex in a neighborhood that I liked that locked in my housing costs (including taxes, insurance and maintenance) at roughly the cost of renting.