@Katherine Nguyen These are great questions, and thankfully you came to the right place for your answers! I know @Account Closed you've got to know your numbers! What are the average rents, what is your PITI, ROI? What's are your long term and short term GOALS??
Find a deal where the numbers REALLY make sense and then figure out the ancillary costs/repairs and work them out to see if it is a deal killer or not.
Now for advice on the issues you mentioned...
1. Fireplaces, cracks in the chimney can be costly, and if it requires a tear-down and rebuild it will need to be converted to a gas fireplace. If it is in the firebox or veneer, may not be too costly to repair/patch.
2 & 3 seem cut and dry, have a contractor replace the window(s) ($200-$1000 window) and repair the holes, handyman work.
4. I'd really need to look at it, but garages are fairly simple structures and can be built for $15-25k which is not a huge dent if it needs to be rebuilt.
5. I've seen too many times people swap out two prong for three prong with out grounding the outlets which is a big no-no code violation. Best to have an electrician either put in GFCI circuits or run a ground wire to each outlet. Electricity is a major fire hazard if done improperly, best to avoid doing yourself unless you have experience.
Good luck on your search!!
