My brother in law and I have been trying to purchase a rental for a few months now but we have been having trouble getting bids accepted.A few days ago we put in a bid on a short sale house last Friday.  

In a perfect world, all lease option buyers buy, and they all pay rent in the meantime prior to exercising.

Either the post office lost the checks two months in a row or the managemnet company did.

The best time for doing infills (unless they are the big $ tear downs of $1M homes to put in a $2M home) coincides with an overall slowdown, but that doesn't appear imminent anywhere anytime soon. 

He keeps the signed deed in a vault in his office until the option is exercised, then he records it with the clerk.

I currently reside in SE Portland in a 1500 SQ 5 bedroom, 2 bath house (tiny house for six people, a married couple lives here as well).

Sellers do not want to go through the time, effort and exposure, or tie up their property, in a transaction that has no chance to close.There are those extremely rare cases, that become real estate legend, in which a buyer with little capital, and no borrowing capacity, is successful in convincing a seller of a large, expensive property to take him seriously and is able to perform a high wire act of raising capital from a variety of unconventional sources and actually complete the purchase.  

If so what are you looking for in a property.  

Good morning,I have an opportunity to buy a home in a fantastic area in northern New Jersey!

If you are in a pinch there are private lenders who will do a cash out refi after you have been on title for 30 days.