I was so concerned with not being competitive, I dropped the price and my phone and email has been on fire. 

My biggest concern is that the cash out is all we have, and my plan is to use it to start investing whether it's in this or buying another property, so I want to make sure this is the wisest use of the money.

Generally I've found that if you find one reputable company and continue to use them they'll be more prone to wave some of those show up fees.As far as new appliances are concerned, I've been using Lowes. 

I rather deal with the mold right away and I am very concerned with legal issues arising from the mold.

It seems like a good plan but concerned about cost and also are they just making money on getting others to sign up (Pyramid Scheme) or are they truly investing   

It is evident that the owner may have been a "do it yourself" kind of guy, so I'm concerned it isn't permitted or zoned. 

They are under no obligation to counter you or even respond.If you are that concerned, why not just contact them and ask nicely whats going on since you notice its still listed as active.

They say they are responding to customer concerns. 

Concerning average number per state, what are the top states for buying tax lien certificates?

Wicker Park and Logan Square was once considered Dangerous areas, just FYI."