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Real estate agents talk to people every week who are in a tough spot — behind on payments, relocating fast, going through divorce, or staring down foreclosure.

Most agents only know one response: list it and hope.

But with the right knowledge and full disclosure, you can offer solutions that help the seller and create opportunity for yourself.

Subject-to purchases. Seller financing. Lease options. Joint ventures.

These structures let you control property, build equity, and solve problems — often without needing a pile of cash or traditional bank financing.

I've used these strategies in over 1,000 deals. They're legitimate, ethical, and powerful when structured correctly. And yes, they're completely compatible with your fiduciary duty to the seller.

Walk away with a listing or a deal. Your choice.

Saturday, Feb 21, 10:30am. $97. Money back if not completely satisfied

Register here.

Some inheritance stories involve tearful family gatherings and meaningful heirlooms.

This one involved eight cats, suspected meth users, and a seller who wanted absolutely nothing to do with any of it.

Our seller inherited a free-and-clear house in Milner, Georgia. Before she could even finish the estate paperwork, she learned the house was occupied by non-paying tenants with no lease, visible drug paraphernalia, and a small colony of cats.

Eight of them.

The 2,200-square-foot home (built in 1990) needed roughly $97,000 in repairs. ARV was about $175,000. Fair market rent around $1,500. On paper, it could work as a flip or a rental—after $70,000–$80,000 in rehab, an eviction, and a full decontamination of everything those cats had ever looked at.

She wanted none of that.

We were discussing a multiple-offer strategy when the seller called.

“I’m sick of this place. I hate it. I don’t care what you do—just take it.”

Motivated seller doesn’t quite describe it. This was a seller who might’ve paid us if we’d framed it correctly.

We offered $40,000 cash. She accepted immediately.

Pro Tip: Don’t make it needlessly complicated. Stop negotiating at “yes.”

There was just one problem.

My wife and I were moving. The truck was packed. We had days—not weeks. Closing the deal, handling an eviction, managing a rehab, and overseeing disposition simply wasn’t realistic.

So we did the next best thing.

We wholesaled the contract to a friend for $5,000 and got on the road.

Sometimes the best deal isn’t the one you close—it’s the one you recognize and monetize within your constraints.

We didn’t have the bandwidth to execute this properly. Our buyer did. Everyone won.

The seller unloaded a nightmare for $40,000.

Our friend picked up a deal with $35,000–$45,000 in profit potential.

We walked with $5,000—enough to cover moving expenses and sleep at night.

Perfect? No.

Profitable? Absolutely.

A reluctant landlord, now 400 miles away, stuck with a rental she doesn’t want—but also doesn’t want to sell because of the financing. Write in with your strategy. We’ll feature the best responses.

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