Mike Im kind of out of my league here on advice as I am in sunny S calif and you are in Jersey.I would consult with the local water provider and a local father and son plumbing shop for the meter splits.Remenber get the best possible insulation to avoid burst water mains in the winter time.Steam heat is a mystery to me as we simply dont need it here in Los Angeles.We crank up gas wall heaters a couple months in the wintertime aside from that,,,,thats about it.Again seek competant local help.I reccomend smaill family business with good reputations cant go wrongDD

For example, if the house is on a main road, you can tell the people that, "In the wintertime, your street will be plowed first."

i'm on the sidelines but looking to make a move probably in the winter time when the market should be a bit quieter. 

Still alive and well here in the NW  just look at all the fresh clear cuts in in the winter time when you fly over.Timber in the NW will return 12 to 14% in a static market when you have price spikes like right now its even greater ..

I'm hesitant to sign up for another mortgage, I know nothing about real estate in Sacramento (said family member has a few properties there and would be willing to help scout a property) and I'm worried that buying now (or even in the winter time) during a time where real estate prices are inflated would take even longer to build equity in the future.

In the wintertime, you get a lot of Alaska residents traveling and families traveling for team sports/events.Seward - also a great spot, but I will always choose Homer over anywhere else on the Peninsula.

ALL mice find the warmest spot for winter time.

It's winter time up north and I bet there are plenty of skilled workers to jump on your tiling job and do it right for you.Network with some others working in Philly...other investors and see who they might recommend.  

There's huge seasonality with the wintertime tourism.

We're looking to split time between two locations, and would like to be in Central Florida for about 4 months out of the year during the winter time.