How is California going to nail me on tax?

@David Krulac hit the nail on the head as to both!

You should not care who the bank is as long as the details of the loan are nailed down and meet your needs.

Get out a spreadsheet and itemize everything you want to replace and go to Home Depot and price every single item (count and list every switch, screw, nail, cover plate, bend, elbow, trap, pipe cabinet, faucet, and glue tube).

Most utilities will have some kind of cap on the water leak overage credit, with 50% being typical. 

Maybe nail down more specifics about cost to buy, cost to sell, and a rehab budget.

Elizabeth, you've hit the nail on the head with what I'm thinking.

Any decent real estate agent can link you up with a few quality lenders.3) I think Nicole hit the nail on the head.  

Many agents try to attract a broad audience, and that makes sense when trying to nail down the first couple of deals.

At Stop lights/stop signs or anywhere traffic backs upOn wood telephone poles using 1" capped roofing nails, up high enough where people can't just walk by and rip them down I put 5 out per day while im out finding my 5 daily Driving for Dollars houses and then one day a week as many as i can.