from date of permit approval to certificate of occupancy was 4 months. sold in 3 months and profited $130k after all fees.

I'm pretty sure that mesquite requires of certificate of occupancy, regardless if you are doing RBTR or renting the whole house.

I was asked to get a business certificate for my rental property in Folsom by the city while ordering the garbage bins and setting up the utilities account.

As soon as I received my license and certification, I job searched and found an amazing position (Business Development Manager) with a company that has just taken Monterey County by storm. 

Because the guys who issue these citations are code enforcement, and they also do things like inspect my rentals for certificates of occupancy.

You are required to sign an FBI occupancy certificate at closing to state you’ll be using the property for the intended purpose (vacation home where you spend at least a couple weeks a year).

@Jeron CrooksThe Form W-9 is used not only to obtain a tax ID from an independent contractor (IC), but also to obtain certification from the IC that he or she is not subject to backup withholding.I always tell my clients to obtain a complete and executed IRS Form W-9 as part of a complete contract. 

In practice, you usually end up paying a premium to purchase a tax lien certificate. 

Longer overdue taxes could mean a tax certificate was sold and the property could be in jeopardy of being auctioned.  

If this was a potential deal I was reviewing and based on the information you provided, this is how I would approach it:1) I would ask that Structural Engineer who performed the inspection of the foundation to issue you, at the Seller's cost, a current HUD Foundation Certification or Foundation Approval Letter which should include a) Distress Analysis and b) Manometer Survey effective January 2015. 2) Since the Owner agreed to bring the Electrical "Up to Code", I would be looking for an Opened/Closed Permit -OR- a completed 3rd Party Electrical Inspection Report to verify the work was completed "To Code".3) If a Pipe Bursted, one has to ask is the Heating System working and are the walls insulated properly and if so then why did the pipe burst.