Finally, the VA loan is insured by an agency of the Federal government, and as such any laws pertaining to said loan supersede state law; not that I have a clue what you’re talking about when you say the VA can’t insure a loan in Maine.Either you’ve totally misunderstood or someone’s pulling your leg.

Folks that own such properties are going to be in denial about the market value of their home that can't get a Fannie loan for a while, and on top of that the federal gov't just gave them 3-12 months wherein they don't have to make a mortgage payment, so those "motivated sellers" with beat up homes might just be 3-12 months from putting them on the market.

These aren't federally defined terms, nor are they defined by FNMA/FHLMC/FHA/etc anywhere.

The only way you get that interest rate and low down payment is with government loan programs, which means you have to live there.

Maybe people would work harder in certain government jobs if they had the private sector incentives.

The government is terrible, taxes are high, crime is out of control, credit doesn't exist in tenants, the city looks at you as revenue, you literally can't force someone to pay water, you could only sue them in civil court.

Some areas have conservation easements , you may cut a deal with the local government where if you put a restriction on the property to let it go natural they may pay you . 

Need to first decide if it is a Federal Wetland spot. 

Should I waive the late fee and accept partial payment for a nurse who works for the government?

It was only postponed due to the government shutdown- the QOZ are still a fantastic option if you have some capital gains to defer and like either projects or new construction properties.