@Rahul Kanani, excellent questions.
1. I don't have a referral for you as I'm in a different part of the state. However you likely cannot refinance for a year if you complete a quiet title because most lenders will require title insurance and providers typically won't issue it until you own the property for 1 year even if you complete a quiet title because the tax sale process is so messy and prone to issues. However, check with your lender. I worked with one lender who did NOT require title insurance on smaller loans under $75k. So, it is possible you will get lucky.
2. I would assess the risk based on the title search. Since a title search will take a few months at least. I might use that time to do a clean out, demo, work on my scope of work and line up contractors. So, I still think work can get done without spending too much money.
Worst case scenario, a former owner tries to reverse the Upset Sale and wins, then all you are out is the cleanout and demo cost which is a relatively small part of the rehab budget in most cases.
3. If utilities are off etc, then to me the place had no tenant/occupant. I would probably post a notice on the door in case someone comes back and after 10 days assume nobody will. To do an ejectment there would probably need to be someone living there to eject. You could go to the magistrate to declare the place abandoned if you feel that's necessary.
If you are only doing cleanout and demo during the quiet title actin period, there is plenty of time to go to the magistrate and have it declared abandoned.
4. If I was declaring the place abandoned, I might wait for that judgement to switch utilities but no longer.
5. I believe most homeowners policies assume you have a functional buildings which you may not, that is where the vacant building insurance comes in. Its more expensive but depending on your appetite for risk could be worthwhile.
6. An LLC protects you if you use it correctly. So, some people use an LLC with no umbrella policy and some people operate under their own name with an umbrella policy. Some do both!
I don't think you can avoid transfer tax when deeding the property over unfortunately.
7. I have always handled appeals on my own without hiring anyone. Also, consider that when you do a rehab and spend $2500 or more improving the property the assessor can come back and re-assess your property again! That probably doesn't happen all the time or even very often, but they can reassess.
I would find out how assessments work in your county as each place implements things a little different. In my area, they typically don't reassess after a rehab unless you are building a new building or maybe adding an addition etc.
That said, the appeals board is there to protect everyone to ensure people pay their fair share. So, when a tax sale property is appealed, they will likely ask what your plans are and when they hear you are rehabbing it, want to consider that as well. So, I typically go right to that with my argument and show them that AFTER my rehab the property will be worth LESS than the current assessment.
Also factor in the "common level ratio". Assessments are with valuations from a specific year. For example 2014, but values change over time. In your county values may have increased 20% making your common level ratio 1.2. So, if your property is worth $120k today, the assessed value should be $100k adjusting using this common level ratio. All assessed values need to be normalized to the year the assessment was done in that county I believe.
https://www.revenue.pa.gov/TaxTypes/RTT/Pages/Common%20Level...
