If it is tied to the home, you have a few options:1) include electricity in the rent (down side with that is tenants may be less diligent with electricity use and increase the bill)2) have the tenant pay it and include a copy of the statement every 1-2 months to show that it is paid in full.3) have the bill in your name and send a copy to the tenant each month (or whatever the billing cycle is) and they can add the balance to their rent each month. 

Competition is definitely lower as well as prices, but distance is usually a factor for most people.

Front unit i think market price is around 1600-1700, but i am planning for 1500-1550 to gain advantage on rentingit's a popular rental area in trending neighborhood, so it has a lot rental on the market and a lot investorfirst regret is i think my offer was too high, i offered asking price at 224k which with my 10k deposit and no inspection (i did had a long term contractor go take a look with me) i can likely get the house for cheaper, it went from 300k to now 224k from last year, so 8 month on market, i could get it for maybe 200k or 210k insteadOriginally i planned to have some minor interior update include few windows, which i am estimating around 3k, but noticing the 3rd floor shingle siding was aging and looks like just matter of time, so i had to replace 2 more exterior siding that need scaffolding, long story short, my repair cost went from 3k to around 8-9kmy dscr loan is 7.625% 30 years, my monthly would be $1577 PITI + water (say $230), compare to my expected rent of $2430, so $623 remaining each monthsome concerns are1. it's flat roof and it's just matter of time for me to replace2. i know this market is always trending, a lot tenants and a lot rentals, so it's competitive but popular, i dont know what to feel about it, i have other rental in the city, just not this specific neighborhood3. since there's so many investor in the area, why no one bought it for the price, it was once lowered to 256k before it go down to 224k. when the market was hot, i think 324k would easily sold, but obviously it didnt as that's what they listed in 2023 summer4. unit was managed by management company, last lease on front unit was from June 2022-June2023 rented for $1700, then they later put for sale for 324kon one hand i think the number works, but on the other hand, i keep have this feeling i wanted to back out of the offer, i think also due to my saving would be down to 20k after closing and all the repairs made, which i normally wanted to have at least 30k in bank, also the extra siding job got me scared a bit, and roof that need to be replaced in futureif i back out now, i am going to be losing 10k + inspection 800, so that's close to 11k lostWhat's your take on this, i would hate to lose 11k without any valid reason and just scared myself out of this deal, but honestly i am having some hard time looking forward to this purchase.

Option 1 - buy a house and pay ~3+k per month (including taxes, insurance, cap ex)Option 2 - rent in good downtown area for $1,300 per monthI'd pick option 2 and save $20k guaranteed per year (versus principal paydown, nonguaranteed appreciation, and negative cash flow).

. ~200k Factored in. 36k-90k for car chargers. 150-250k~ energy sold to tenantsIf my assumptions are correct, I should be able flip property in 5 years or refi and do it again in 5 years @ 50/50% at 13.5m equity. rinse repeat.

I overlooked including these details on Schedule E when I initially filed my taxes.Any guidance on these matters would be greatly appreciated.

No you can't.You can't do any labor for the Property yourself, which includes selling it.

For some reason we all failed to include the tax sale properties in their estate planning.

When the investor dies, the value of the property at that time is included in their estate.

If they are insuring the property in its current state, it's likely that a new buyer will also be able to obtain insurance without trouble.As for the mortgage aspect, the key factor will be ensuring that the house, including the patio "room" and its roof, meets all local building codes and standards.