Get a realtor or lawyer to present the contract and at settlement the lawyer will basically take the check minus the lien (send to the gas company) and the rest goes to the owner --- so if you pay 20k she'll end up with $3000Now how are you planning on purchasing?

A good real estate lawyer could answer that for you in less than an hour.

How to I gain more confidence in representing a buyer or seller?

It's not recognized in New York state but the right lawyer can guide you.

Talk to your lawyer about your specific situation but generally the jurisdiction of your fund will be a natural result of the structure you choose and where you and your investors are located (in some industries it might be focused on a global hot spot for the industry).  

But it is a document that you must agree to that says the Realtor represents you and is entitle to a commission.

I ended up having conference calls with the three bureaus and representatives from Franchise Tax Board.  

It might also have an application for a  land trust format that might be useful.What ever you do, run it by a lawyer.

Auctioning of REOs and other owned properties you may be allowed 30 days to setup the financing.Things to check:Liens, back taxes, unpaid utilities, if the property is occupied you need to have a strategy for that (not sure if you want a tenet, if not you need a lawyer for the eviction or try a cash for keys), you won't have it in Seattle but on the east side of WA you have irrigation assessments.

Set up a meeting or a conference call with them and tell them you are looking for off-market properties and they can represent you as a buyer.