It's clean. 

Work for free, clean out houses, put up fliers, birddog deals, start negotiations with anything and anyone who will ... and learn.  

I never got the impression they were trying to pull an all out rehab/flip - more just cleaning up an otherwise horrible listing.It is my understanding that they get recommendations from the listing broker on whether any further money should be spent on the property prior to listing.

If you can't get a clean title, don't do the deal.

Now as for the deed, usually tax deeds are fine until you want to sell, then you either need to clean title or sell to a cash investor at a bit of a discount. 

Snow plowing, gutter cleaning, shoveling.  

I've already checked with my assessors office, treasury office, recorders office,  and building/neighborhood code departments for any liens, back taxes, or violations, and everything came back clean as a whistle.

For invoices like pest control and sewer clean out we post the actual invoice to the house. 

I'll bet that the Federal Government has probably spent millions of dollars in research and determined that people will continue to die owning real estate and leaving money messes for their heirs to clean up.

Now let's say 10 shown up and none of then like the place but track mud and dirt in so you need to clean it up and start over.Joe Gore