If you are buying turnkey properties in class A neighborhoods for young professionals where rentals are hot right now, it may not matter.  

The Portland market is smoking hot right now.  

Based upon the number of response in a very short time, this appears to be a very hot topic. 

The hot water heaters look new and so do the hvacs.

Also, the market is so hot here it is difficult to see why an owner in trouble would not simply sell to discharge their debts. 

As I am in Hot Springs I do not go but I have heard great things about it.

but nothing says you cannot negotiate commission rates... we know there is downward pressure in hot retail markets on commission rates.. but on bombed out hard to sell wholesale type deals to charge 10 to 20% commiSH or just a flat dollar fee is common..

Hot markets are hard to find deals, but when you do, it's easy to liquidate them.

If no one else has contracted to buy the property in the last 3 weeks while this game has been played, then perhaps it's not the "hot" property the seller thinks it is and maybe it's time to pull your offer until the seller gets motivated. 

If the market is as hot is right now, it would be very difficult to purchase both at the same time due to the competition, but it's not impossible.