The sellers claimed it was cleaned up but upon a re-examination we found human waste STILL in the basement, not to mention the guy cleaning it up was just a maintenance man and had not come close to taking  appropriate measures to rectify (a shovel and hose doesn't clean up bio waste).

My question is around property taxes and how to minimize the increase in assessed value of your property.

Can anyone point me in the right direction as far as which professional (e.g. tax attorney, CPA,, financial advisor) I should consult with to help minimize the tax burden I'm about to encounter?  

We live in an unincorporated part of our county, so the regulations are minimal.

Is a Hard Money Loan and good route to take on a first flip if you are starting out with minimal funds?

I know it won't be easy but I feel that with the BP info and experts like yourself, mistakes will be minimized and goals achieved. 

So we decided to go for it.The property was operated by a mom and pop operator, who had taken great care of the property, but had allowed most of the residents to pay minimal rent.

Direct them to the Bigger Pockets marketplace to find another investor - or offer to tell some investors you know - so that their work isn't wasted.  

Some quick flip guys/private equity ones try and minimize repairs so they can meet return hurdles for investors.

If you are investing in a tenant friendly district you need to understand that your courts mandate is to not evict tenants.Landlords must accept the fact that they are never going to change policy and are wasting their time chasing windmills if they think otherwise.