As someone once stated somewhere on BP, "I would rather lose sleep over a house I didn't buy than a house that I did buy."

I will be venturing out to buy and hold soon.

Get out of the contract, even if it means losing earnest money.

Often folks wait too long and lose the home (and their credit as well) when the home goes to auction/foreclosure.  

If an agent that you have an agency agreement with pulls a move like that then they are violating their license regulations, and can be called up before their Real Estate commission and potentially lose their license.

As to other ventures in connection with RE, steel fabrication business, car lots, grocery store, auto service garage, construction firm/general contractor, C-store/car wash and a bar, cafe, lake resort.These came arising from basically partnering as a credit or business partner (or both) for under capitalized entrepreneurs who couldn't swing the RE purchase or lease of facilities.

When the  herd says buy you can't lose that's when I run the other way.The  property has to make money when I buy.

One of my favorite but not well known REAL ESTATE INVESTING creative financing strategies is "joint venture with the seller on a minor rehab"Most wholesaling deals are really needing a lot of work and they're totally neglectedIf you have an ARV of hundred thousand and it needs 70,000 work to get to the hundred, you're not going to pay more than 5,000 to 10,000 for itWhat if you need a minor rehab that needs updating only, like paint,  carpet, new kitchen?

You may find later on that assigning contracts as a business venture can be different in the eyes of regulators and others involved in RE than an individual who just assigned a sales contract.

I will send them a copy of a $100 BILL and say "There's more of that where it came from..." and then offer to buy their house instead of them losing their home to tax foreclosure.