If you develop a great relationship with local credit unions, you'll be surprised by what all they're capable of.   

I’m surprised they were dumb enough to jack the sales price up 70 K above retail.

And the calculation windows for when interest is assessed would probably surprise most people, it's generally not what one thinks it is so often waiting to that statement does often incur interest charges. 

These steps ensure the property meets high standards and minimizes surprises.

We got hit with some surprise costs that I can’t afford.

Scope creep is a huge problem and the more you learn up about the project up front, the easier it is to figure out what actually needs to be done and avoid surprises (or pass on deals that need more than you initially think): https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/due-diligence-ultimate-gu...I highly recommend building a contingency (I do 20%) into your rehab budgets for unexpected issues.

I am surprised they have not been sued for illegal business practices.

These numbers will often surprise you with a significant jump 50%+.

You'll be surprised how many cases there have been and how the law has developed.Do a quick search for Pennsylvania tree laws or Pennsylvania tree liability and you'll see what I'm talking about.

You will be surprised.