I also keep 12 months of net income from my portfolio + brokerage business in cash in my money market and I don't touch it or consider it usable for deals as a safety net. 

IMO too much has to go correctly, and at some point I have real concerns about the commitment to properly funding our police and fire departments and its potential impact to safety. 

The previous tenants were there 2 years (homeowners in another area, relocated for temporary work requirement) and never had any issues with the property, and never anything with the kitchen.The current tenants have never been homeowners and are younger, so their experience with what a landlord should fix out of preference vs what they are required to fix out of obligation is probably a gray area for them.I am simply trying to verify that this repair request is a preference and not a legal requirement for health/sanitation or safety reasons.

You'd have to have a window as well for fire safety I think. 

Getting your feet wet is invaluable, but obviously you don't want to go deep sea diving if you cant even swim yet.Ultimately I think it depends on your lifestyle, your personality, your risk tolerance/aversion, and your safety net.

. - FIRE SAFETY AND PROTECTIONI read these sections and am looking for "if" it says that fire extinguishers are required.

While of course they would prefer a safe neighborhood, within 15 minutes of a hospital and reasonable rents, from what I can tell, the priority is usually 1) safety 2) cost and 3) commute in that order.

It's a flight to quality..for safety. 

We fixed some major safety issues like replacing the electrical panel and upgrading the railings on the deck.

You also need to check the electrical that got wet as that can be a safety hazard.