I just wanted to give my two cents on the knock on effects of this very unique public health crisis on my local economy. 

Well, there will obviously be many more deaths still yet.. but also, the aggregate economic loss from the shutdown and reverberating effects is going to be far greater than just what the government spends on stimulus.

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!!!

Small causes have exponential effects, which means market changes will occur more often.Always be prepared for a Black Swan.

For you to buy sight unseen (or using pictures that are who-knows-how-old) is a risk on your part and you should get compensated accordingly (with a lower price).Also remember that at the bottom of every MLS listing sheet will be a disclaimer to the effect of, "information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and buyers must conduct their own due diligence".

For managing tenants we have our own systems and processes and for communication we use a separate email, but more often than not, we text the tenants using google voice.

I would also talk to my lender about how this would effect my borrowing ability.

Effective troubleshooting over the phone can be hugely helpful to this to avoid having to dispatch over something that the tenant can be easily walked through.

@Ellie Narie - everyone is trying to speculate on covid19 housing effects.

The government is effectively commandeering your assets for what it's classifying as a wartime use.