In the northeast having a second heat source in the rental saved  frozen pipes when the electric was out for days.

Guess my thinking was if they can help me save on the funding part and locking in my first deal , it would pay for itself.  

Some investors prefer to start saving for these ASAP, while others plan to deal with them when they happen.The unknown is Maintenance costs, which are often dictated by how "hard" a tenant lives in a property.

That's a massive savings!

Moving out of a state with income tax to a state without before selling, saving 10% or more in taxes. 

I applaud you and your wife for thinking about this so early and your apparently great ability to save money for this next step! 

When investing in real estate, having multiple exit strategies is key.For a single investment property, make sure the numbers work for both scenarios: 1️) If you decide to sell the home, the deal should produce a solid return. 2️) If you need to rent it out, the rental income should cover expenses and provide a profit.Flexibility is what saves you when things don’t turn out as planned.

I have flipped about 8 homes, we had a plumbing issue on the last home that finally got resolved....but could have turned south if it was not.

and I think there are several remedies to resolve this - and the developer and the city's business/permitting services both have liability here. 

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