Hence, you, the buyer, can end up paying significantly less fees and on better terms. 

very polarized opinions on this subject.but generally speaking.buy at or as close to the median price point for a given MSA do NOT get sucked into low value looks great on paper properties that are in tough to manage neighborhoods and you don't realize it until you own it.other wise its just like buying any other real estate.Home inspection.... 

- Listing and buyers agents (Those doing the most volume, quickest closings and least DOM)Thanks!

They have a lot of good buyer reviews.  

That said. the winning bidder could have offered to be a repeat buyer if the property's was owned by an investor.  

It will depend on the specifics of your market, but in some of the vacation communities down here Big Bear etc. homes can sit on the market much longer than they would if the primary buyers were going to be owner occupants.

Part of the due diligence process is discovering what service and other contracts exist, and whether and how they may be enforceable against a new owner.The leases should be assigned, security deposits transferred, and any service agreements which the buyer does not want continued should be terminated (or dealt with somehow) as of settlement date.

Money wise you have an asset that costs you and maybe you can access the equity while she is alive.

Fix up the house, refinance or sell or rent out or do what I do and sell to a Tenant Buyer and get a big down payment and let them do the rehab.

with fix and flip you let buyer do home inspection.. and call what repairs they want.although you do need to do a sellers disclosure so technically if you think its a major item it should be disclosed.. but if its in a hot enough area of PDX then you can sell as is.. but make your disclosure so you don't have trouble after the fact.Portland right now is a very tough market to flip in.. wholesale prices are so competitive one little bump in the road and your profit gets eaten up.. good luck