Your final cash-to-closing numbers will vary based on your loan product - I'd be here all day if I were to throw out savings goals per product, so I'll save you the pain.

As for the noise complaint... we get them all the time, its a pain. 

I am due to close on my first duplex in PA in about two weeks and the title search just came back with judgments (about $42k) and liens (about 8k) for the seller, who owns the property outright. 

It was a huge pain on what should have been a simple task.

Google 1205 Bartholomew for an example of a non-significant house that the HDLC would allow demolished with redevelopment plans, based on my conversations with HDLC (I was interested in this house 4-5 years ago, but decided to pass on it after my previous experience with HDLC new construction).I will say that doing work in any HDLC controlled area is a big pain in the butt and definitely increases costs.  

There are many penalties for landlords who violate the rules like you.It stinks and it's a pain in the butt, but we have to follow the legal system.

It’s expensive and painful.

I'd say that's worth it although the new ordinance saying it say to be linked is a pain. "$200 lease filing, $200 admin fee, $200 sanitation fee, etc." is likely what you'll end up seeing.

I know the pain.

The Delaware trust thing is scary to me because you're locked in- the more I read about it the riskier and more painful it sounds.