It would be a shame to get too far down the rabbit hole without chatting this out with a probate attorney (it's not my focus, sorry).Tim's right that the court can "quiet title" to the property if need be, but if memory serves that involves a formal legal proceeding that actively seeks out folks that have interests in the property, to make sure the right people have first shot.

@Rebecca Miller, there have not been any formal Meetups on Whidbey over the past few years. 

Of course, I will have a formal title search and attorney contract review performed, but I'm trying to get a draft contract together at the moment.

I wouldn't try to form all those systems for one deal.

We knew that once the house was moved it was part of the process to have a hydrostatic pressure test done on the sewage system to verify that all was good, but for some reason I thought that was just a formality.

It can be very seasonal, and it seems you are generalizing quite a bit about the area (using language like "I'm told" and "should be")  I would lean on the local knowledge of your Realtor as well as your own formal research to help you get a clearer picture of local happenings. 

I try to save money by forgoing the formal inspections.

Those are the formal documents that hold lenders accountable to what they quote you.  

Right after we closed, on Oct 15th, we sent a letter to the tenants formally introducing ourselves, providing them key information, and also providing them with notice that either a written lease needed to be executed within 30 days (by Nov 15) or they would need to vacate by Nov 30.

Just to start things off, I have no formal background in Real Estate, but I have a great interest in rental properties.