You do not want to have to deal with the significant added expense, hassle, and delays of probate should one of your parents pass.Consider using this situation to improve your "amateur investor" status to intermediate or advanced status.

This step must be done carefully to avoid further damage.Structural Repairs: Address any structural damage first, including the roof, walls, and foundation.Systems Repair: Repair or replace electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems as needed.Interior Restoration: Once the structural and system repairs are complete, focus on restoring the interior, including insulation, drywall, flooring, and fixtures.Safety and Health Concerns:Air Quality: Ensure proper ventilation and air quality during and after the restoration process to remove smoke odors and contaminants.Mold Remediation: Check for and address any mold growth, which can be a common issue in fire-damaged properties due to water used in firefighting.Final Inspections:City Inspections: Coordinate with the city for final inspections to ensure that the property is safe and habitable.Fire Department Clearance: Obtain clearance from the Fire Department confirming that the property is safe to occupy.I hope this helps, best of luck!

A couple of months later, when paying their rent, the tenants in the other house said they had a list of "improvements" they would like to have done to their house too, and asked when I could get started!

I will be interested in hearing your thoughts on if/how can I improve my strategy   

Assure them that as long as they're happy living there and pay their rent on time each month, you aren't planning on doing either right from day 1.During this conversation with the tenant, also ask them if there are any maintenance issues you should know about, or things they would like fixed up - this will have the dual benefit of giving you the inside scoop on any deferred maintenance issues that the owner themselves might not currently be aware of, as well as giving you some ideas for improvements you could make that would give you cover to raise their rent in the future. 

It would be very hard for us to improve.

You know the property can be improved.

We were saved because it was a high cost area where improvements add a lot of value. 

", but I am unsure if that only applies if we were to stay in the unit for less then 24 months.We would ideally like to live in the unit for 24 months, do some improvements and re-rent the unit at market rates, but Im not entirely sure what the rules are here.

However, don't OVER improve your property either.