Any thoughts on whether or not I should sign the retainer agreement or not would be greatly appreciated.

It's awesome that you got the verbal offer accepted.Here is what I would do:Get the offer signed and throw in a token amount of earnest money to make it legal.

To avoid transactional funding, try a reverse assignmentSay you have a deal:A to B - purchase price $100KB to C purchase price $130KYour profit is $30KAssign your interest, Use a mortgage - DOT and a note for your $30K profit.Get paid from closing, use escrow instructions, use a letter of intent and get it signed from the seller and new buyer to be transparent.

I also just found out that the exhaust fans are sparking and the insulation shows signs that it is shorting out.

That's what I thought, the case should be, but doesn't the agent have a Maryland Realtor Board Listing contract signed by all sellers that have houses to list?

You can also use bandit signs.

However, bottom line is a licensed broker must issue a fee contract and it must be signed.

Check out Mark Ferguson's blog I googled the question since i was also curios to the specifics.Couple things can happen if you as an investor who plans on not occupying the property put in a bid as an owner occupant, they are kind of serious: All owner occupants sign an Owner Occupancy Certification - certifying that you will be living there - for at least a year.

He would need to agree no other fees are required and a W-9 be signed if the money is over $1000.If he refuses, then he can initiate a suit and you have something real to talk to a lawyer about.Personally, I wouldn't sue someone for so little money.

He pretty much declined the walk through (I still had him sign the checklist).Our house has been sitting empty for a few months, but everything was in working order (we had been going to the house to check on it weekly, lived in the house for 8 years with no such issues).