Wouldn't any leans need to be listed on a basic sheriff sale? 

A basic contractor grade single hung window should be perfect for this situation.

You should always check with a local RE attorney, and maybe see how much it will cost them to draw you up a basic purchase contract that you can assign.

Does it have a basement?  

@Jonathan Orr    In Oregon and Washington  we have pre app conferences they are mandatory.you show up with your planner and engineer a basic design.. and staff is there many times with members of each department that you will need to deal with..they then start talking about things your consultants will need to do to process your project.Its been years since I did one I CA.. however I suspect there maybe a similar process.I have a piece of dirt in Rohnert park that I have owned for 25 years its finally got brought into the city and the city is done with their specific plan..

I normally insured homes for  $83 a sqft but I was a national agent that wrote for over 35 states, so i had to have a basic guideline.The main thing I really suggest is to just ask the agent your questions and voice your concerns, if you feel comfortable with the answers than that's all that matters because ultimately you are paying for peace of mind.As far as deductible goes, that's a personal choice.

I suggested he pay someone to add a basement entrance, so we got quotes ($6k and $7k) so he made an offer with a $7k concession, the sellers accepted, and we sold it.Use concessions and seller's willingness to work with buyers to solve problems!  

That being said, what you will likely learn are basic screening techniques that will aim to earn money based on a basic peak/trough method.You can make $40k in a month sure.

From my understanding it seems Transaction Coordinators get paid a base salary + $150 to $350 per a deal that closes that they coordinates.

They even have cost guidelines which will give you a basic idea of the renovation costs without getting a contractor involved.The cost would probably be between $500 - $800 which is a small price to pay for choosing a bad option if you decide on your own.Another option would be to contact builders/renovators and see if they are interested in buying the property and then finishing it themselves.