When the market goes down, buyers are frozen into inaction. 

Newbie out of state investor here and hopefully my question makes sense (still learning terminology). After you get pre-approved with a lender, how long are you 'stuck' before you can pull the plug and look in another...

I was considering options using a loan out of my 401k for down payments options for flips/rental properties when I came across my pension that has since been frozen a few years back. 

I would choose a place that doesn't have the frozen pipes/ice, snow damage and hassle risk, yet close to winter recreation. 

Nederland has Eldora for Winter, and some fun summer stuff like Frozen Dead Guy Days. 

It can be two fold on splitting utilities;  - putting all of the utilities  in the tenants name usually makes them more responsible with things and they won't be running the heat at 78* in the winter, likewise the AC at 66* in the summer and more costly bills are avoided (just examples of being wasteful on your dime)- however some investors (especially in areas where the winters get very cold) wouldn't prefer to do this as an unpaid bill in the winter may result in frozen pipes and will spilt or keep utilities in their name to avoid more costly repairsI personally would put all of the utilities in the tenant's name and just make sure I was screening my tenants well ahead of time.

Not enough information to answer properly- Change requests cause delays, supply chain of receiving items for changes was frozen up in the past months, contractors have huge demand for work.

However, remember that all earnest money is at risk regardless of what your contract says (all it takes is for the seller to file litigation and it will be frozen in the account until the lawsuit is settled, even if that takes years) so put up more earnest money than you can afford to lose and still be a happy person.

@James SmithBe like Elsa in frozen and let it go.

They recently scored a massive economy pack of frozen fruit in the freezer.