Now you have a home with 10 year old mechanicals. 

Multiple mechanical failures (hot water heaters, boilers, ect)

These are not deep dives into the return metrics that go along with an investment property but will familiarize you with the lingo and mechanics of a real estate transaction.

I currently reside in Tempe, AZ where I completed my BA degree in Mechanical Engineering from ASU in 2015.

The soft costs include all the design costs: architect, structural engineer, mechanical, electrical and plumbing for the building itself, but you will also need civil engineers who need surveys and geotechnical reports. 

The mechanicals (circuit breaker, water heater, etc) seem to have been updated within the last decade or so.

For example the only basement coverage was for mechanicals in our case and most of the neighbors. 

According to county court records, the plaintiff is the first lienholder, but I was told that there could still be other rare cases such as mechanic's liens or federal tax liens.  

I already have a bit of creative financing worked up, I'm just not 100% sure of the mechanics.

But he can't get all three without one of the above mechanisms.