I believe it tends to give me a slightly lower return, because the sponsor is going to be more careful, and if there is a severe downturn will prevent me from taking catastrophic losses.

Usually, only heating oil USTs associated with commercial properties are regulated. thus, most home heating oil tanks may and often are taken out of service without any oversight from state regulators.Second- the rules that are in effect for heating oil tanks are usually less stringent than for diesel or gasoline tanks since heating oil tends to thicker and may not migrate as far. as a result, many states just require tanks to be cleaned out. they may also require the tanks to be filled with sand or concrete to prevent collapse. but sampling may not be required.Third- the key to determining if a tank has leaked is to collect soil samples from around and beneath the tank (groundwater also if groundwater is shallow). another quick way to see if a tank is leaking is to "dip" it with a stick that has a paste that turns color in the presence of water. generally, if water has gotten into a tank, it can mean oil has leaked out of the tank (although a certain amount of condensation may be present even where there is no leak so this is not a infallible test).Fourth- if there is currently a tank in the basement, ask the owner if there used to be a buried tank (a/k/a underground storage tank).Fifth, If the tank has impacted the soil, the cleanup generally varies from $25K to $50K though the costs will depend ont he depth of the contamination. i once had a home with a heated pool that had pressurized piping and used diesel. the contamination went down 40 feet and the consultant went crazy excavating the soil to the tune of $400K!!!

If this agreement is an exclusive right to represent and prevents you from purchasing properties from other agents or on your own, don't sign.

What prevents the closing from actually happening?

This tax on Unrelated Business Taxable income (UBTI) is designed to level the playing field for tax-paying businesses and prevent unfair competition from tax-exempts in activities deemed to be commercial enterprises.In real estate, activities that create UBTI include dealer transactions such as flipping and wholesaling, new construction for immediate sale, and services associated real estate such as hotels, short-term rentals, self-storage, and adult care homes.Rent from real property, interest on notes, and the sale of a property or note held over time all generate passive income with no UBTI component.A syndication is not a business simply by the fact that a “business entity” such as a LLC or LLP is used to put the project together.

Usually, if a wire isn't 1.5" inside a wood member, a protective nail plate is used to prevent piercing it.

What can I do to prevent picking a fly by night company?

Once the bills are paid, various amounts of the rent are stored away in separate accounts, one for management fees (upkeep, service calls, etc), capital expenditures (savings for roof replacement, water heater/furnace, etc), maintenance (softer salt, preventative maintenance work) and vacancy rate (should a unit fall unrented, there is a reserve fund to pay that rent out accordingly).

Not sure if one should lock all vacant doors and unlock once leased but this would prevent the hands off management approach as I seek. 

.”, both of these help prevent water from running down the pipe and into the attic.