I would argue there's more important things than a balcony. interior finishes. we build a triplex stacked over and over and no balcony. on our infill single family home we have two rooftop terraces and covered balconies that we are designing now to sell quick. it's more of an amenity to compete and get a quick sale. 

Gas station employees, mechanics, landscapers, and many others work in close proximity to petroleum products on a daily basis for decades and they don't experience health issues as long as they observe basic safety measures like washing their hands.

Your input has reinforced my own observations of the DC metro market over the past three months.

My observation was not a judgement, it was a complaint.

Some quick tips I recommend.First 2-3 auctions...go to watch and observe. 

Don't settle for shallow observations; instead, delve further, ask meaningful questions, and follow your intuition.

In my observation, many people incorrectly think there str is exclusively a real estate investment, it isn't.

Usually the HOA/COA board members are loaded with retirees who have plenty of time to go around the community and observe what's going on.

@Jay Hinrichs, very interesting observations!

He also observed some active water penetration into the basementI am trying to figure out if it’s worth it to look into fixing it and trying to make the deal work, or if I should just keep looking for a different property.