I agree that the small claims court option should be pursued if the guy won't pay, but also, as William said, the jerk bought the house to flip it which usually means an attempt at a quick sell. A successful lien could definitely put the kabash on it selling.

In the past when I have had a hard time collecting for whatever reason, I have contacted the buyer's real estate agent to let them know the problem and believe it or not, they have often been successful in getting the client to pay up when my attempts have failed. While this has not always worked, I did this just last week after failed attempts to contact or collect and I recieved an overnighted check the next day. There was no contact from the client, just a check from him.
Just a suggestion for a possible easier solution.

2 pennies,

Eric