See, the older I get (don't ask), the more annoyed I get with the endless "I WILL SHOW YOU HOW TO CUT YOUR TAXES in DECEMBER" emails, posts, webinars, podcasts, TikToks, YouTubes and whatnot.

And I've been warned from other realtors that if I have a buyer rep agreement, I'll get cut out.

They excavate the sewer main for their tie in, while exposed they cut my active line and capped it. 

If REIPro isn’t cutting it for your skip tracing, give Prime Tracers a shot—it’s been super reliable for connecting with the right contacts without breaking the bank.

The plumber will likely have to cut open the ceiling to confirm and make repairs, so you can save a little money by learning how to do that yourself, confirm the problem, and then call the plumber for repair, then patch the ceiling yourself.As Jonathan is trying to point out, it's important to expect these things and have funds on hand to deal with them.

We found out the potentially the whole block has led pipes so we are needing a contractor to cut a hole in the floor.   

Fix gutters, extend  gutters at least 10 ft haul in dirt around foundation if needed the best soil for a foundation is a heavy clay type  , cut back trees if needed .

@Penny PengBig piece missing here - what is the best component ?

Prior to losing the home in foreclosure the previous owner had retaliated against the lender by cutting out most of the exposed electrical wiring and removing the heat and air units from the property. 

Document all of what you do if you are going to get it done for them, and/or if you cut them a check then make sure it is in writing that it was all done and they cannot come back to you at a later date asking for more money/mitigation.