I also know that they "didn't know about the sale ahead of time", so I have to imagine that played a role in the lien. 

I will play devil's advocate here. 

Trying to save money by foregoing insurance is playing russian roulette.

The other half are caveat emptor.2) When buying through an individual that likely isn't following state real estate laws already since they likely are in violation of the state brokers act....you probably arnt getting a disclosure even if state law requires it.

The setting in which the experience was gained plays a role in determining what constitutes a qualified and responsible person and what types of experience documentation may be acceptable.It goes on to list pretty much anybody related to construction fields, including homeowners you perform work for.

One thing that I noticed helps a lot of times is going to local networking events and hanging around like-minded individuals.

So I was playing musical chairs with them much as you might with credit card balance transfers.  

If you're still living in it, you can rent it out by the room to multiple individuals or even as a live-in STR depending on your risk tolerance & city ordinances. 

You'll see the usage drop significantly once they start to play for it.Get three quotes from HVAC companies, and if you don't have any I would ask contractors and realtors for referralsGino

Of course capex does come into play, but I have a lot of factors on my side including most major components of the property have been replaced already, including roof replaced 2 years ago, water heater replaced 3 years ago, full house was just repiped, septic system is 5 years old, HVAC system replaced in last 7 years, i do not cover appliances with warranty in my rentals, and the tenant I placed in the property is a single dude who works 60 hours a week and just needs a place to sleep.