I would have purchased the property contingent on ALL occupents being out no later than three days prior to closing.

Any advice on proceeding w/ a preliminary evaluation prior to seeing would be much appreciated.

So there is no need to do a quiet deed transfer prior to sale.  

Prior to that, my first exposure came back in 1985.

I assume everything needs to be turned on prior to inspection, but how do i know that the house isn't going to explode when the gas comes on, or become flooded when the water comes on, or burn to the ground once the electricity comes on?   

Any expenses you want to claim prior to the day your first rental property is put into service (rent sign in yard) must be claimed as Startup Expenses not operating expenses.

The penalty is generally imposed by the bank, I would ask to see specific terms from the bank prior to accepting the deal [you'll want this during your option period] If you're trying to flip it will be an issue, if you're trying to use as buy&hold it won't matter much

Will my lender and/or title company request this permit prior to closing since this is not a new construction ?

At this point, there is no way for me to prevent my tenants from vacating prior to the expiration of the lease.

For your next BRRRR deal get pre-qualified or pre-approved for the Refinance loan prior to purchasing the property.