I am looking into house hacking a property that is a duplex, or simply buying a single family home to brrrr.

Hi @Christopher Murphy, try Sales Comparison Approach, this is simply a comparison of similar homes that have rented or sold locally over a given time period.

If you get caught in year 10, then maybe you've already made money, but if it happens in year 1 (at the same time you just spent 50k on rehabs and your furnace goes out), then you're in the hole and have no way to get out.

Simply point out the problems and present the sellers with the estimate to repair.

You could simply stop and door knock on every house you drive past that has tall grass, missing shingles, or broken gutters. 

I would simply be weary and really understand what rules and regulations exist before you make a purchase.

(Or do they simply need to state, “will not pay commissions to buyer’s agent?”

In my first experience hiring a VA, I simply hired someone based off of their resume & my conversations with them over Skype. 

What @James Wise said.Plus, 60 amps, that might be old 110V service and those old fabric covered wires.The flickering and surging might be the OLDEN DAYS fabric wires arcing inside the walls (a fire on it's way to starting).Even if the outlets have 3 prong holes and you see some ROMEX, it doesn't mean they redid the whole system with ROMEX, there will be hidden from view junction boxes that might still have old wire in them, or old plastered over live wires.Fix it quick--flickering and surging is not a good thing--it's very dangerous.You may be forced by law to bring it up to current code, GFCI Breakers, etc... ($$$$)And make sure the smoke detectors are up (not expired) and working properly.I shudder to think how you will feel if someone burns to death in there.

To get the fact slap that shows me exactly how I still don't know enough & what more to focus on to avoid as many walks of shame I can in the process.You're right, I'm fresh out the garden so I really don't want my first deal to suck me down a rabbit hole either.