The other complication is that as military personnel, we tend to be rank-conscious. 

My favorite, they encouraged us to rip out our lawn and put in hardscaping to save water and be environmentally conscious.

I am conscious of that. and willing to change/adapt if necessary. 

Instead, the Committee punted the money to an entirely different agency responsible for environmentally friendly projects, which spent only a fraction of the bonds.

As for the Environmental Site Assessment, do I need to wait until I have selected a lender?

What about the area - I know these are not the most cost-conscious areas in LA...?

Consider how diverse they are, environmental impacts etc, and other fashionable categories, then the financial engineers can print the money and give it to the companies they like.  

Nathaniel,Because of the need for Pollution coverage by a Demo contractor, we are often using Specialty Markets that do a lot with the Environmental Firms. 

Personally when I was a renter I was guilty of not being as conscious with consumption of any utilities that were included.

Make sure your DD process includes, at a minimum:-A full property walkthrough, including every unit-Property condition assessment (PCA)-Environmental site assessment (ESA)-Roofing/Engineering/Pest/Mold inspections as needed-A Detailed scope of work based on the findings Happy to connect with you 1-1 if that would help