The previous owner mentioned to me that she had wanted to take the tree down but this same neighbor didn't want it taken down since his kids played around it. 

I'm purchasing the property with cash and if I wait to renovate until spring, I'm confident that I can pay cash for the whole renovation.

My family loves Myrtle but waiting until my soon to be senior is out of High School before making any moving type decisions. 

Bought a few deals in Wisconsin, and I used some of the recs previously mentioned here. 

Once I get the seller to sign purchase agreement, do I take that to the title company or wait until I find a buyer to sign the assignment contract and just take both at the same time?

Any money you put into the rehab can't be included into the purchase price.If you are expecting a decent equity bump then you will need to wait for a 6 month seasoning.

If you want to cash out because there is lien on the property you have to wait for 6 month.

Thanks for the mention, @Dmitriy Fomichenko@Delshon Chestnut - with the size of NYC, the concept of "local" is somewhat fuzzy.

If you decide to sell it, don't wait very long and get that profit money in your pocket. 

I’m not having much success with 170+ day listings, these owners are determined to wait u til the market goes back up to sell rather than sell for cash today.