REO inspection

[Marcin G.]

How do you handle checking the house before you buy it if the utilities are off ? lets say you spot a deal on the block but there is no running water, gas is shut off, electricity is off …there is no way you can check plumbing, furnace, etc ..some REOs even say “seller will not activate utilities” …I think you could activate utilities in your name …but then how about all the outstanding bills that might hit you ?!…anyways …doing inspection on such a house might be a huge hit and miss if you realize that all plumbing is gone due to burst pipes …furnace does not function ..there are DIY shorts etc ..opinions ?