Flippers are probably picking up these "deals" and then getting burned on properties they cannot unload. 

The floors are trashed: crappy carpet with cigarette burns throughout.

Have a client who is always concerned about whether not you could recreate the property because he has had a property burn down.

He got greedy and got burned, does not mean it's not a great tool.

It will be a lot cheaper to install, though it is the most expensive way to heat a home, short of burning $100 bills in the fireplace.I have electric baseboard in the home I just purchased, so to mitigate the costs, we purchased (not leased) solar panels. 

It sounds like a challenging commercial property that will burn a lot of cash.

If it is empty or empty except for trash/unwanted items you should be safe to change the locks and move on...

But like you said there are so many unknowns  and the risk  of burning through 5K for things unseen is highly likely.I think 20k is a decent buffer for the unknowns and the possibility of the sale not napping ad quickly ad o would have hoped for. 

Frankly if someone had threatened me personally I would have called police, I would have sat in my car until officer came and took report, I had tenant threaten he'd burn the place down..

Every time we renewed our lease it really burned my posterior so I read the book straight through and got in touch with Ben via email.