But you have to get in where you fit in and  shake things up when you come in as new owner with inherited tenants.

If you have your focus set and someone comes in and tries to shake that up, you know better because they key to success is your focus.

It is hard to tell from photos, but if the shakes are in good shape, I'd leave them. 

I don't want to shake hands and my pants fall down because I didn't come to the meeting without a belt!

I stopped buying houses built before 1940 for several reasons:They are usually full of lead paint.I don't like wet plaster or lathe.The foundations tend to have problems.Often, there's cedar shakes under 2-4 layers of shingles.I want nothing to do with steam heat.

After your personnel finances are in good standings and you have the required funds to allow for you to purchase your first *great* deal you have set yourself up for success and you will find as you go along and as you learn more and more you will shake your head at some of the different ways people are making money off of the inexperience and sometime naïve investors.

If it's with one of the larger home builders (DR Horton, Standard Pacific, KB etc) it sometimes takes some branch shaking to get their attention.

Stick to what is usual and customary and don't employ additional junk thinking you're "protecting" yourself, shake off the paranoid thinking, it's not life and death it's just a contract. :)

I'll keep you posted on how this shakes out.

Don't let it shake you out.