Remove ponds and bird baths (no water no leaking faucets).

I expect my borrowing costs to be around $2000, insurance $150, water $80, property tax $400, maintenance $150 for a total $2630. 

Are there structural problems, problems with the roof, major problems with plumbing or electrical, signs of water damage, etc.

I guess that sums up to a group of people who would LIKE TO know what to do, but not one person in the group really knows.So...one 'like-minded' person tells the other 'like-minded' person that they should both try some senseless strategy and everyone can learn by banging their heads on stone walls.The only thing I like about some meetings is when their is soft drinks, coffee and cookies.

If so, then you may want to have a consultant estimate reasonable worst case scenario to determine costs and see if you can get a credit. does home have on-site drinking well or is it served by city water? 

New metal roof, water heater, windows, HVAC, etc. all the boring big ticket expenses have been covered for us.

Sewer and water is often omitted.

The valuable thing about this lot was that it had a spot in line on the water waitlist, which is a huge value add.

However... the gas nor water was on.

The CEO of Coca-Cola, the CEO of Red Bull, and the kid down the street with a lemonade stand are all in the business of selling flavored water, but you can't seriously expect them all to have the same business model because they're "running a business."