Granted, there's probably all sorts of bacteria growing in there - thus the smell, but it's nothing to concern you or your tenants.

I'm not sure of your exact financial situation, but I would also add that if you have not yet mastered personal finance, you best focus on that before buying any sort of property ... this will also help you save some money.

It's sort of up to you.

Another kind of related issue: one of the units has a fence that sort of separates itself from the rest of the property.

@Presh DineshkumarMost of the Plus and Pro membership "perks" are very U.S.A. focussed - even the on-line calculators - and have less practical value to Canadians ... even those unfortunate enough to be stuck in the GTA ;-)Some Plus/Pro features .. such as the search members by zip or postal code now work (sort of) for Canadians (polite nagging can pay off ).If you are a flipper, or offer a real estate related service (architect, trade, etc), then the ability to post advertisements to the Real Estate Marketplace is a benefit.I upgraded to a Pro membership early on to support the site and its growth as I found it to be a credible venue for exchanging knowledge and making contacts with respect to real estate. 

Hey gang,    So this is sort of a tough question, or a loaded question, or whatever we call it, because of all the variables.

@Danielle Clark, because you WILL be "in a position to buy a house" in January, I suggest skipping the wholesaling and/or flipping rigmarole.Go STRAIGHT for a Multi of some sort, and live in one of the Units.

The way I see it is sort of like a business sending you an email on your birthday (automated), but still feels nice to be recognized!

There are all sorts of things like EDU, utilities, etc that need investigation.Are these public or private utilities on the lot?

The city will invest in Staten Island to build all sort of development projects.