Any other surprises such as higher tax rates, preservation requirements, flood insurance, etc?

Not surprised FL is up there

I'm surprised someone would go through the trouble of filing a court case and showing up to court over that amount. 

I'm just surprised that in the dozens of youtube videos I watched re installing LVP over a wooden subfloor (and the 3 contractors I consulted, and the many home improvement forums I sought advice on :-), no one really mentioned using a 1/4" (or better) plywood underlayment, but since I've brought up my issues here on BP I've seen many folks mention that they ALWAYS do that by default. 

I'll also add that I wouldn't be surprised if some contractors favor locals over out of state consumers such as yourselves.

It's no secret that Columbus, Ohio was named the 3rd hottest Real Estate market by Zillow for 2024 - https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/real-estate/columbus-n...This shouldn't be a surprise with so many fortune 500 companies like Intel, Google, and Wells Fargo investing Billions in Columbus- https://www.10tv.com/article/news/local/road-improvements-be...- https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/05/08/google-is-building...- https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2023/12/12/wells-far...But I am constantly asked, "where are the deals?"

If there is a fire and you haven't set up your insurance properly you could be in for a big surprise and not receive a payout.6.

EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!

I at least applaud the county for being truthful. my question to you is that, why you don't find this surprising ?

This was a surprise to me as even in California, with written notice, you are able to show units before vacancy.