Hi all, had some bad water damage in a duplex of ours in Rockford and we've cleared everything out, almost down to studs and are looking for a GC who can do it all (carpentry, drywall, subfloor, paint, plumbing, etc). 

I did not know that every pipe burst or split or that it was not winterized and that the main water line to the house needed full replacement. 

I am highly concerned that the previous owner just slapped some paint on the walls to cover issues and while it's not hot and humid now, summer time could prove to be a disaster if I have an underlying problem.So thoughts, opinions, ideas?

Keep in mind that the seller is going to try to get out from the property for a reason, just ask a question and listen, if he's motivated enough they will reveal more than needed OR they will not have enough selling points which could be a bad thing. ie; vacancy rates (leads to knowledge about the area or housing issues the tenants had), water usage (potential plumbing issues), appliances held in the units (leads to how old the electrical is in the home) CHECK IF THE OUTLETS ARE GROUNDED !!! 

The owner pays water, garbage, sewage currently.

I think the utility is Los Angeles department of water and power. 

You could have a multifamily where you pay heat, electric, water, garbage, lawn, snow and repairs happen every month, with vacancy once a year.

Some were single moms that worked crazy hours to stay above water and kids were left home all day.

They felt too under the water in California and could barely pay for their school loans while living with their mother and pretty much didn't have a real chance to get into real estate while living there.

When I sold my house, I accepted an all-cash offer with a 10-day escrow (DEFINITE money) rather than a subject-to-financing offer with a 30-day escrow (MAYBE money).Because I sold in a hot market (San Francisco Bay Area), all of my best offers were cash, but I didn't accept the highest cash offer because there were red flags my realtor pointed out.