If the fire was bad enough you will probably get more money then you paid for the house.

The east burbs can be spotty, so it's hard to throw a dart at a city name and say good or bad. 

I would rather leave a unit VACANT for as long as it takes then sign a bad lease with a tenant that negatively affects resale values and my investors down the line.

I guess it only takes one bad apple to cause a problem, but I have not had an issue yet (knock on wood).I’d leave it alone and reconsider later if it does become a problem.

@Terry Lao if bad management continues, it will keep hindering potential buyers’ options for financing, therefore, keeping the market value of those units down as they aren’t “marketable” Only options for a potential buyer are private mortgage and/or pay higher rate.I had this scenario myself where I owned individual condos in buildings governed by associations.

I’m pretty sure something else is coming up after the heater’s fixed and it’ll be non stopping, also it’s getting warmer in north cal.Is it a really bad idea to carry out UD process when there’s outstanding repairs going on?

That isn’t a bad result either.

It can be very easy to make a bad deal look good if you forget some of these costs so plan accordingly.

I can understand the concern because of the odor, but your question did not include smoking marijuana or taking marijuana pills for medicinal purposes. 

Jobs aren't bad, the wrong job is the problem. also having no job will crush your ability to use leverage. take your time, find a place that you can use your talents, grow, and be inspired. you can jump head first into real estate, but I would suggest that you implement a goal, plan on how to get there, then implement.