I need to install a water filtration/softener system (a whole house system).

Let me see if I can soften the edges of @Steven Hamilton II's posts.There are literally thousands of posts (maybe even tens of thousands) on Bigger Pockets that spread all kinds of goofy tax misinformation, if not downright fraud.  

You could convert part this year and part next to soften the blow.When you make a Roth IRA contribution from current year income, it is not added to your income, but likewise is not reduced.So, if you were to convert $50K from traditional to Roth, your overall taxable income would be $100K for the year.If you were to make a $10K Roth contribution, your overall taxable income would be $50K.Hope that helps!

It may take a bit of time for your heart to soften but if you seek God first above all else, He will reveal Himself to you. 

“The forecast predicts a softening of real GDP growth to 2.1 percent this year from 2.4 percent in 2015.

It is an arm's length transaction.List price is often thrown way off by regular sale comps because the banks have not softened the rules.  

In regards to cost, I would rather all my properties be on Well and septic, my personal home is, I hate municipal charges. our rentals on septics we have in the lease that the tenant is responsible to have the tank pumped per local law, if they dont, like unpaid water bills, they will be evicted. wells come with in some cases Iron issues, as well as hardness issues, we supply a filter and softening system, it is the tenants responsibility to replace filters, and fill salt, no different than having them replace furnace filters. yea you may have a pump fail, or a septic fail, but the over all cost can be a CapX item.

The hot water tank here is gas-fired.There is no water softener, as far as I know.

The muni water supplies in Amsterdam, Clifton Park, Schenectady and the surrounding suburbs of Schenectady are all horrendously hard, which can be fixed with a water softener, which is an expense and something to maintain but nothing major, but as Michael mentioned if a house has never had one, the pipes could be shot already.  

Second,  send a mail piece that stands out and or is different that what most investors send... and Third always remember the Flip is in the Follow Up so don't just mail once and then stop or all you have done is soften the target (property owner) for your competition who is not going to stop!