Should I pass on this rental?

[Jack B.]

I'm on a timeline due to 1031 rules. I got them to come down 20K in price at inspection, it's a duplex (not a normal one, a studio on one side and a 3 bedroom on the other). Both have their own kitchens, laundry and bath.

But the house needs a bit of work. Mostly cosmetic, current tenants are messy with kids. Supposedly current on rent according to the spreadsheets the sellers agent sent me.

The house had a fire in the attic before the previous owner ever bought it, so some of the wood there is charred.

The concerns are:

-Do I trust their spreadsheet as proof the tenants are current on rent?

-The house is in a rough area near a military base, I'm worried about re-sale down the road. This especially true with the signs of an old fire in the attic. The house had the knob and tube wiring removed long ago according to my inspector.

-The house is in a city that requires rental licensing with annual inspection. Last year the seller had to spend 17K on repairs due to the cities demands. This makes me wary. How do I know they don't have some fix this that or the other demand each year?