A safety, fire alarm detector, CO detector, or "mold discovery" charge at court can wipe out your life savings.

Don't be alarmed, there are events coming up.  

Ignoring the obviously crappy quality of the product, I had some quite alarming (and not unfamiliar) conversations with AC repair companies.

Install cameras everywhere, Motion lights, Alarms.

Listing agent specializes in REO and distressed sales, which is a flag for "higher probability of shadiness" in itself.Seller (actually the listing agent, in all probability) insisted that we use one particular title company.In talking to the buyer's agent, something made my BS alarm go off halfway through the transaction, I don't recall what.So the agent and I called a few local title companies. 

Him telling me he doesn't want me to come down then telling me he will be naked at 6 PM on Friday night after I tell him it's not his choice is a deliberate attempt to deny me access and indecently expose himself to me AND my prospective customers....RCW 9A.88.010Indecent exposure.(1) A person is guilty of indecent exposure if he or she intentionally makes any open and obscene exposure of his or her person or the person of another knowing that such conduct is likely to cause reasonable affront or alarm.

This is what I use in all my properties, once their staged and on the market (don't want anyone stealing the furniture):http://lasershield.net/There's no reason you couldn't use it in your properties from the time you take possession.You don't need a phone line...they have a wireless interface that will call you if there is a break-in, and if you don't respond (or don't want to disable the alarm when it calls you), their monitoring center will notify the police.Luckily, I've never had a real alarm, but the couple times an agent has entered a house without calling ahead, I got proof that this system works just as expected.

That should give you a better idea about whether to be concerned.For what it's worth I do not think the fact the City will only quit claim the property is in and of itself alarming.

Put a water alarm in the kitchen sink cabinet to warn of leaks from plumbing there. 

If we're passing by the front door and there's water streaming out underneath we need to be able to go in and handle it without worrying about the alarm and the police.