He wont pay more than $2,000 for an assignment fee? Yeah, he sounds like a prick. I would just approach your buyer with the deal and show them the spread. Offer it to them for nothing more than 70 cents on the dollar. What you make shouldn't matter as long as the deal is a winner for him. I wouldn't even tell him up front unless he needed to know. Explain to them that you PAY to market for deals and spend the time negotiating with the seller. They are getting a great deal gift wrapped and dropped on their lap. Any real rehabber would love you for that.