I looked at a condo this week 2/1 on the second floor which had a one day open house before the bank goes through an online auction ( 2nd time around). the broker there said the water and oil heating had been turned off in 2013 and everything had been properly winterized - the electric was all working.  

Why is a tenant paying the same rent as someone that is getting "free" heat?  

Depends on location.Down here in South Florida with the humidity and heat, carpets can be gross.I love to buy properties with carpets over terrazo. 

Most of the dramatic heat of the moment texts I receive solve themselves after a little while.

My biggest expenses right now are our house and bills to heat, cool, turn the power on, etc.

Come April-May-June, assuming that things heat up again here as they always do in the spring and early summer, I figured we will get $760k to $775k. 

If this project suits itself to the following, fund the major repairs with licensed specialists (roof, plumbing, electrical, heating), then sell to a DIY couple looking for a "fixer-upper" for 85-90% of "after repair value".  

The triplex was built in 1963 without air conditioning or heating.  

As Todd says, things might start heating up if oil prices stay in the tank.  

At the higher end, and thus unlikely at this point 'til I start developing my own projects, solar PV,  solar thermal, Ground source Heat pumps, etc.