Even the LADWP is a pain to deal with and anything electric can linger for months if not years in this cityFor that reason, i would recommend to absolutely avoid any interaction with the city unless you do really heavy work that would have significant impact on the appraisal like maybe adding bedrooms and bathrooms or adding lots of square feetThe current system doesn't reward doing the things by the book; you actually will be way ahead doing things on your own and just comply if you get an order to comply one day (very unlikely anyway).

You have to think creatively in terms of what type of skills you have and what are the needs/pain points of a MFH investor/syndicator.

So find out what the Lender wants and give it to 'em - It's less painful that way!

I know it can be a pain to send this to people but it helps to have a good lender review your personal tax returns, business tax returns and K-1 in depth.

HOA is $175 per month.This property is in a great location... located in a large urban park in a historic neighborhood currently undergoing serious gentrification (hundreds of millions in multiple residential/commercial  developments all over the neighborhood, both city and private money).

Is it appropriate to call the seller and try to get information/details/pain points directly from him, or go through the standard channel of the listing realtor?

I know the pain of going through the Best and Final rounds, certainly is stressful.

If the tenant is a pain then I would wait till the unit is vacant. 

Once you find true buyers Then weed them into good buyers and pain in the a$$ buyers

If the sanitary conditions in your unit are such that it attracts pests of any kind, and it becomes necessary for us to undergo remediation in the building, you will be held financially responsible for reasonable costs thereof, paid as additional rent.This is what I use.