Unit 1 - Painted throughout, installed new floors throughout the downstairs, replaced appliances, kitchen cabinets, the bathroom vanity, the majority of the light fixtures, and the old dirty light switches and outlets.Unit 2 - Replaced water heater and rangeOther - Repaired roof, added some foundation supports, and added curb appeal by painting the patios/doors, replacing porch lights, and putting new house numbers on top of the paint What was the outcome?

The FTB is tougher than the IRS.Now if your advisor is charging you for a no activity or limited activity filing, yes, you are getting hosed.  

Basically - all developer impact fees from a local agency (city, county,special district, water corporation) are removed if under 750 square ft

If you're trying to hose them they are probably going to figure it out and back out.

Water heater?

You can get it on amazon, dilute it with water in a pump sprayer and spray the baseboards on exterior walls, and spray around the outside walls on the house and you should be good to go.

To replace a bad water heater might be $40 for the 1st hour plus $25 for each additional hour labor plus materials.

We had the existing tenant sign a new lease prior to closing at $1050 per mo, tenant pays all utilities including water and shovels/mows. 

Little things that can add up to  be big things financially like garbage, water & common area electrical, landscaping.   

The duplex would also be close enough to the road to access city water and sewage, where as the rest of the property is not close enough to access them.