While there are home owners who simply can't afford paying their taxes, others have access to money but don't want to spend it on taxes.

Anyone know how to access?

With that amount of equity you'd likely qualify for a HELOC on your primary residence to access that equity to buy an investment property or to buy a new primary and rent out your current home - the latter is what I do personally and all of this is what I offer my clients professionally. 

I decided to re-do all the plumbing seeing a significant amount has to be re-done regardless and the flooring was being pulled so there would never be easier access. 

We both have cash reserves, my partner does have more liquidity than me being a property owner for quite sometime and having access to it's equity.

We can educate and get you straightened out.Benefits of whole life insurance include:* Income Protection (Disability/Illness)* Flexible Access to Cash* Tax Advantages* Stable and Guaranteed Growth* Asset Protection* Legacy and Wealth Transfer* Uninterrupted Compound Growth* Ability to Earn in Two Places at Once* Inflation Hedge* Dividend Potential* Non-Correlation to Market* Life Death Benefit Coverage* Tax-Free Retirement Income Potential

I went into residential because buying and fixing single family homes is familar and more accessible.

. $800 a year in franchise tax fees is my no means sufficient to buy liability protection from a determined litigant.4) Would you hire an environmental testing company to test the land (to which you have no legal access - but I doubt the dead guy would call the cops on you) once the foreclosure process has progressed well enough, but before it's conclusion, so that you tell the lawyer to stop foreclosure in case some major contamination is discovered?

He/she would have access to good lenders, title companies, PM companies and know the best areas to invest in based on your criteria.  

I agree, these can be a great way to get access to more real estate investments and/or diversify retirement portfolios away from more volatile or poorer performing assets.