Put safety first by looking closely at homes, guessing fix-up costs, working with good workers, and having backup plans for surprises.

There are a lot of scammy youtube gurus that talk about building business credit, but it basically is the same as your personal credit....be organized, don't overleverage, be patient, and pay all your bills on time.In NY to become an LLC, there's a $200 fee and then you have to publish in two newspapers for 6 weeks. 

You can always try check with the city's planning or building & safety departments to see if they have any type of file related to the parcel, and if they do, if there is any due diligence in the file, i.e. soils, etc. 

Most lenders/investors are wanting a margin of safety in investment loans given where the economy and RE cycle are at.

(additional info: changing the stairs or getting new ones would be a massive undertaking)You might be able to get them to sign some sort of waiver, but then if anyone gets seriously hurt it likely won't save you.Some attorney will argue you willfully ignored a known safety issue, and as the "big bad landlord" you'll lose your shirt and then some.Plus, your post here will be Exhibit A and definitely won't win you any points with a judge!

I recommend using your resources to your advantage but doing it the smart way and being patient 

@Dan ThomasAs a civil engineer, a former planning board member and someone who had to do a curb cut on Virginia DOT road for my home I have some experience in this. 100% absolutely your engineer should have been talking with DOT early on, especially if site distances are not met as that is a safety issue and one that is very hard to overcome.

Guest safety is the most important, yet overlooked, priority for investors.

The numbers may look great on paper, but if there could be a larger threat to your safety than you bargained for, websites like neighborhoodscout.com can help you navigate that dynamic before learning the hard way!

In California, we have bogus ESA law (AB468) that establishes minimum criteria for patient medical provider relationship and poses harsh punishments to medical providers that provide bogus ESA authorizations.