Another thing is assessments.

The way I have been doing it, I scope out a perspective house to buy, I have a contractor who I've been working with, give me an assessment of the condition, and give me a quote on what it will cost to renovate.

After 30 days, a $500 cancellation fee will be assessed.

I also heard the city will be performing new tax assessments...is this true?

It means "Something beyond comprehension".

Generally speaking, do not rely on Assessor's cards for assessed values, drive by the property, bring certified funds in incremental cashier's checks (any left over funds takes 2+ weeks to get returned), remember to pay taxes during redemption period, check municipal liens (demo/repair), determine your exit strategies.

I also want to believe that you know the consequences of not protecting your asset properly, some advice you to insure you rental property and do the transfer of title from LLC to your name but anything short of a comprehensive insurance package is not enough for a rental property with this it can cover for additional increase in construction cost in case of the unexpected or natural disaster. 

I purchased the CD from the Office of Property Assessment in my county.  

Really, you have 4 deals remaining on the table that represent 4 distinct analytic exercises, -Only Then- can they be considered in aggregate to assess/develop an overall strategy.Your question is really FAR more complicated than, how do I take advantage of the subsequent lien opportunities on top of the utility liens already purchased - either through loans, partnership or some other avenue.

What is a fair/good way to assess closing costs?