Yes, I'm an animal lover, I don't let that get in the way of my business relationships, I take advantage of the opportunity of charging more for some pets that will actually contribute to any additional wear and tear or clean up when the unit is vacated.

The rest of the country is tired of supplying resources to fight fires and cleanup after San Francisco. 

This will help either clean up content or help other people to avoid reading it.  

This could be making cold calls, helping analyze deals or just helping fix up or clean up properties.

What I would recommend is to prepare a 1 page "scope of work" which would list the general items that were replaced and an approximate cost.Something like:KITCHEN - Total $17,000.00Replace all existing cabinetry with Maple Cabinets = $8,000New Granite Countertop = $4,000.00Stainless Steel Appliances = $5,000.00MASTER BATHROOM - Total $5,000.00Replace all existing tile and fixtures $5,000.00LANDSCAPING - Total $3,000.00Spring Cleanup and thatching, seeding etc.. $500.00Paver walkway installed $1,000.00Outdoor lighting replaced, re-wired $1,500.00I think you can get the idea from this.

To make things even better I am positive my buyer will also make money after fixing it up,  I did nothing but some clean up and yard work. 

The law says: If you are the owner than you're responsible for the cleanup.

Or would it be better to pay it outright, depleting my savings, but getting a property that actually cash flows in todays market?

WTF do I gotta clean up your sh#t for all the time?!"

Usually, only heating oil USTs associated with commercial properties are regulated. thus, most home heating oil tanks may and often are taken out of service without any oversight from state regulators.Second- the rules that are in effect for heating oil tanks are usually less stringent than for diesel or gasoline tanks since heating oil tends to thicker and may not migrate as far. as a result, many states just require tanks to be cleaned out. they may also require the tanks to be filled with sand or concrete to prevent collapse. but sampling may not be required.Third- the key to determining if a tank has leaked is to collect soil samples from around and beneath the tank (groundwater also if groundwater is shallow). another quick way to see if a tank is leaking is to "dip" it with a stick that has a paste that turns color in the presence of water. generally, if water has gotten into a tank, it can mean oil has leaked out of the tank (although a certain amount of condensation may be present even where there is no leak so this is not a infallible test).Fourth- if there is currently a tank in the basement, ask the owner if there used to be a buried tank (a/k/a underground storage tank).Fifth, If the tank has impacted the soil, the cleanup generally varies from $25K to $50K though the costs will depend ont he depth of the contamination. i once had a home with a heated pool that had pressurized piping and used diesel. the contamination went down 40 feet and the consultant went crazy excavating the soil to the tune of $400K!!!