I am very eager to get started, but I must admit I have been frozen with fear on what I should do next I suppose.

I as new landlord got the dreaded phone call of a frozen pipe causing flooding. 

We want to avoid potential damages of non-use: frozen pipes, HVAC getting funky, etc.

However -- if the ground is frozen and you are building a 2-story walk-out with a full basement, you have to wait until spring. -- I think what you got confused is settling vs. like 'curing.'

I can't justify buying my materials for a job at the same place I can buy a frozen pizza and canned meats.

@Brad SmithGood thing you are in Tejas ... up here our lines are 48 - 60" down ... and the top 8" of the ground is somewhat frozen at the moment ;-)

If that were not the case, it would have frozen every year for the past 100 plus years.

(But later once I asked them to set the thermometer higher the water came back again, so it is just because the pipe was frozen).However, I don't know if it is hard to prove that it is the tenant's fault.

Remember that the rest of Canada is completely frozen and covered in snow 70% of the time.

And also protected her property in the meantime from frozen/busted water pipes, etc...However, the new landlord (outta state owner), with new tenants found through a local PM, did not have the utilities setup to automatically switch, so he knew nothing about what was going on at the property, until it was entirely too late.