-You can also pull public OPRA request to see any open permits. 

I hired a company to complete the renovations and a public adjustor to help with my insurance claim. 

It's added together, however it doesn't matter anyway, because there is no tax and no reporting on your LLC, except for the ownership report known as PIR - Public Information Report 

@John D.To learn more about what qualifies as self-employment income in order to open a solo 401k plan, see the following: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-se...Also, IRS Publication 560 (the publication for self-employed plans such as SEP and SIMPLE IRAs, ans solo 401k plans) has a section that gives examples of self-employment activity.

Why are there no publicly available stories of people owning these policies? 

I usually just look up the real owner in public records, skip-trace their contact info, let them know someone is trying to use their land for a scam and offer to put a sign up at the property that says "NOT FOR SALE" (ironic for a real estate agent right?).

IRS Publication 925 goes into more detail about this.If you aren't able to qualify for either, you still do get advantages in that you would be allowed to carryforward these passive losses to a future year to offset future passive gains.

Now I look at public records myself and get title searches done after a bid is accepted.

Septic tank versus public sewer?

The recorded document will put the public on notice that there is an issue (cloud) with the title and that will prevent someone else from buying the property without dealing with you first!