Those are lower-income neighborhoods and lower-income tenants, at least here in Cincy, are notoriously bad about beating up apartments.

Too much like a prison dorm or something like that.

I can tell you on the commercial real estate side when I have foreign clients buying here the lenders do not like seeing buyers from certain countries.The reason is those areas are notorious for money laundering, scams, or terrorist activities, etc.

At the very least, I would get another electrician to look at the situation.Some brands of older panels are notorious for failing after some years. 

That generally means fewer people looking or wanting to move in winter, and it also can mean some bigger price concessions.On the other hand, if the house continues to sit a few more months, you may have better negotiating power with the seller for the same reasons.In my humble opinion, flippers and even many contractors are notorious for underestimating how long it takes to complete a project.

Thinking that no one will notice or no one will care has put many, many folks in prison. 

Texas is notoriously fickle as boom or bust.

Next I go to the Courthouse to see what judgments are against the owners, are they in the middle of a divorce, is someone about to go to prison, etc.

You might be able to get in the front of the line but even if you do get someone one the hook, it's still pretty risky.Keep in mind that most contractors are notorious for starting many projects at once and keeping them all in play so they will have a guaranteed workflow for many months.

Do lie on that form, penalty is a Federal crime of $250,000 fine and fine years in prison (owner occupied,of course.)