Once a month, change the filters as well as run vinegar down the condensate line.

Hurricane/La Verkin/Virgin historically have been much more flexible but those ordinances have changed over the years so you have to be careful before banking on being able to do vacation rentals. 

If I sell within the next 2.5 years I can avoid capital gains tax which in this case for me is a big chunk of change

Both will need to change.

It stems from my concern that the short supply of homes eventually contributing to policy/tax changes in favor of in-state investors & regular home buyers.

@mau pan not sure how the laws work in pa but in Georgia you legally own the property the day of the foreclosure auction even though it can take several weeks or even months for the attorney to prepare and record the deed.So I always immediately get insurance, put utilities in my name and if it's vacant, get physical control and change the locks.Regarding the possibility of leaks, I always ask the water company to put service in my name, unlock the meter but leave it turned off at the meter.You can the turn it on yourself with a curb-key or a decent pair of pliers.

Be advised that unless something has changed from the last time I was looking into it, the court usually will not approve a sale for less than 2/3 of appraised value, even if the executor agrees to it. 

They are not the same thing, but if the building was constructed prior to 1969 without undergoing a change in occupancy type and no major renovation permits pulled, it will likely not have or require a CO.

Quite frankly, it's possibly a good time to buy.I would only get worried about the market if we see a significant change in multiple data points, including days on market, list price to sold price ratio, number of new pending sales, number of new active sales, etc.  

Having free time, especially with kids, is such a great motivator for making changes!