Possibly my worst is some wallpapered ceilings (tin pattern) that didn't adhere properly and started peeling long after painting.

This helps tremendously when balancing your books (Balance Sheet and Income Statement)Best of luck!

Did they give proper notice before leaving?

One of the tenants has not paid April rent, and the landlord has given proper notices and just filed paperwork at the courthouse.

Or, is there some distant cousin that's going to show up with a valid claim that they had some ownership and were not properly compensated? 

As used herein, "preservation improvements" shall mean improvements made to preserve the property by properly keeping it in repair for its proper and reasonable use, having due regard for the kind and character of the property at the time of sale…My guess would be no, but I'm not sure.

I suspect there are still some heavy discounts in subprime areas or small balance very rural type markets.. but your not going to get big discounts in markets that are quite firm like west coast etc.. ( unless very rural)...

But I am looking for someone who can help me properly set things up so I can reap tax savings now, and in the future. 

You're also going to have a hard time (in my desirable markets/locations) finding someone to A) sell you a house at a significant discount and B) not getting ripped off or properly est/budgeting your repairs.What's far more likely to happen is you buy a house from "wholesaler".

The interest portion due every month is Exactly the interest rate times the Current outstanding balance, divided by 12, just like a credit card.