Shorter term CD's actually have higher rates than longer term so staying in the 3-6 month range is best.  

Appears the guests may have left the faucet "on" when the pipes were frozen and when no water came out, forgot to turn it "off".What may have caused the overflow of the sink is maybe the drain lines were also frozen?

If they can't do that, keep shopping.This may require digging up the foundation, sealing it from the outside, and installing a french drain to keep water away from the walls.

It would be our preference to invest in upstate NY because we could drive there relatively easily, but if there are better deals elsewhere, we would be more inclined to go with option (1).Hi Bethany, if you're investing in NY, unfortunately the price range is crazy high and you won't find any cash flow.

In category after category, larger condos and higher price ranges are selling better than smaller condos and lower price ranges. 

Add coconut water or ice tea with the bottled water.

Do you have a purchase price range you're targeting?

need to get a better range on your ARV and not enough info to judge. 

We have a rented hot water heater that burst and flooded the finished basement.

Water overflowing the sink, seems more plausible than some missing caulk.