Husband is licensed general contractor, plumber, electrician.

We already had properties closer to DC in less well-reputed school districts, so we wanted to have one in a good school district, as we thought that the management experience would be somewhat different.

And most importantly make sure you have/keep a reputation as a solid buyer who will close, otherwise they won't bring you the good stuff.Unfortunately pricing is high right now and that's 90% of your volume problem.

Ask which local lenders regularly attend their club and who have the best reputations.

Confirm that the provider has a pristine reputation (e.g.

You should have a plumber put a camera down the sewer to check for breaks in the line or if it is septic, have a septic inspection.

but even with those it's still roughly 2x.I can't see any reason to stick with oil, based on your feedback and feedback from some of the plumbers I've spoken with. 

Talk to a plumber about how to install some basic water measuring devices on supply lines.

If you throw out offers to get them accepted and then back out or re-trade the deal, you can develop a bad reputation with the brokers and may be left out of future deals. 

@Chris Borunda If you are using a reputable agent to represent you, they will help you look for those red flags.