As for Electrical, aluminum wiring is a red flag not seeing it can't be used but it has greater chances of malfunctioning and causing a fire vs copper(aluminum was used more in the Vietnam era but this is just precaution), make sure all electrical work is grounded (you can tell if the receptacle are 2 prong and not 3), Service and Panel size would also need to be adequate if you plan on adding more rooms and circuits(I recommend at least 150 Amps).

Still hammering away here in the Carolina's which the the whole south eastern states are great cash flow.

The house probably has aluminum wiring and lead paint also--that s what you get with older houses

The top vinyl companies even with thinner wear layers that use aluminum oxide or ceramic beads will outperform just a thick urethane wear layer from the knock off brands when it comes to a scratch test).  

If you're looking in the Philly area I'd recommend our local REIA group DIG (Diversified Investor Group).They have meetings all over the South Eastern PA region and I've met many great investors through the group, as well as gained a lot of knowledge from their speakers over the years.https://digonline.org/

Cast aluminum and stainless steel fastenings only for beach areas.

There is some aluminum wiring west of Kingshighway, is that an issue and how much will that cost if it is an issue. 

shop around for cheaper ironworks guys and get a quote. i would image they quote around $800 - $1000 for gating the 1 area between the walls. that should be in your budget and is better than framing in a cheapo lattice DIY gate.if i really wanted to splurge, i'd go with aluminum gate; around here socal many folks including me of amerasian diaspora seem to love the rich modern light silvery look and it imparts heaps of feng shui apparently; doesnt have the black metal bars jail look at all!

Gas heater with a aluminum duct going across the loft with fans to blow the heat down4.

Raised beds or aluminum cattle troughs, yes.