Frustrating, because again - I thought the property was already ready to go and I would have expected someone, either my guy or the seller, to anticipate needing the utilities turned on.

If tenant walks away (which is not anticipated at all), I clear $15K.I'm tentative to get into this deal due to my lack of knowledge of purchase options, as well as tying up my capital (I won't be able to purchase another property while holding this one).Any advice or guidance would be appreciated!

We choose not to inflate a property's ROI by adding in anticipated or forecasted appreciation.

No apartments and no big crowds yet, but is anticipated due to the growth. 

Obviously this will vary depending upon the property, but are there some general guidelines for how to anticipate this expense in the event that I am unable to obtain the information directly from the seller?  

And would you recommend it if the market around your demographic is not yielding as much progress as you had anticipated?

This is something you should have anticipated happening as this could kill the deal for you. 

If you can afford to lose $700/month in the interim with the anticipated reward being far greater in a year, there's nothing inherently wrong with the thought process.

At this point, I anticipate that neither the owner or the mortgage holder will pay off the tax lien and that I will get the deed in approximately a year. 

Another thing to think about with a property of that size if you haven't done similar projects the finishes and everything in the home must be top notch, which many times can get a lot more expensive than you anticipate.