In my county, if the unit isn't connected to the house, then separate water and electric needs to be run. 

@Kevin McKittrick Well in my opinion an electrical upgrade should be paid for by the owner of the property.

I train contractors in the HVAC, Plumbing and Electrical industries.  

It sounds like you haven't spent much time working in an electrical panel, so I'm not sure I'd recommend this as a first project.

Replaced all windows, doors, flooring, painted, enclosed a porch, redid kitchen and bathroom as well as a lot of electrical upgrades (running new wire, adding circuits) only hired help was roof repair, plumbing, and some of the electrical.

. · Utilities:· Electricity is individually metered.

May also have issues with cast iron plumbing lines, parts of the house are knob and tube electrical which has been hacked over the years...  

NY is probably far different than Oregon, but here in Oregon you get only a slight benefit to heating with gas vs electric.  

We ask them do they have gas/electric, have they paid their bill (sad that we have to ask this), is the pilot light on, did you reset the breaker,etc.

Then go to as many REO properties as you can and practice your skill set.Here is some more info that should help you: Break up the home into sections - Kitchen, baths, flooring, paint, stucco, landscaping, plumbing (including fixtures), electrical (including fixtures), HVAC, interior doors, door casings/baseboards, windows/sliders/front door, roof, foundation, misc., and garage.Once you know what the common costs are for each area for a specific size home, you can see how easy it will become to walk in and walk out 15 minutes later with a rehab figure in your head.