I haven't yet had a bank make me pay off a HELOC like @Greg Morical but I did have them reduce the available amount of the HELOC when the market value of my home declined.  

One of the ones I belong to charges $9 for a credit check, so may be you can reduce you costs and make your application fee more competitive to the others in your area.Around here about half have a fee and half do not. 

I record the option.Two once sellers enter into a letter of intent, and I am licensed, I advertise for the house on the MLS as either a home for cash sale or a lease to own with 3% downThree once the tenant buyers are found I use an earnest money agreement where they give me the option release fee in the name of the title company and then they have seven days to inspect the propertyFour the tenant buyers deposit 1st and last months rent into escrowFive I release the option from public records and collect my 3%Note the option release fee can be paid by the seller or both seller and buyer

Having tenants do odd jobs, such as clean-up, grass-cutting, or landscaping as a way to reduce rent may be construed as “consideration” and potentially subject you to carrying WC insurance.

The rents were a bit lower too, there must be some consideration on the other side in order to charge gig fees for minor infractions that management usually takes care of.Next, is the business on premises, that is certainly in violation of tenant's rights to work, so long as the business conducted is not open to the public, like a hair dresser, but an insurance agent commonly works out of their home, so does a Realtor, you probably do to.

whats great is seeing rei working for a property tycoon.a mentor for flips would reduce the learning curve

If I'm building the list some other way (e..g, I'm driving for dollars) I look it up in public records to see if the last sale date is 15 years or more in the past.

No public water or sewer is available yet on that side.

I'm guessing $250-300 per month for electric and $75 per month for water/sewer, based on public information and experience.  

If they can't provide those documents then reduce your offer price to compensate for that value.