I guess you could say it's a "hot" hot water heater ;)The duplex only has 1 gas meter for both units.3 layers of roofs!

under water mortgage needing to do a short sale approved by the lenders with help from seller and a negotiator.

Continuing education is pretty standard for any professional license. 

We were going to have a formal inspection done before making an offer just to be crystal-clear on what we would be dealing with, but the realtor suggested we save some time and money by having a contractor take a look to help us determine the repairs required, and subsequently how much we should offer.Is this pretty standard practice as far as "due diligence" goes? 

It would be incredibly difficult (probably impossible) to find a house this nice and with everything brand new (HVAC, water heater, appliances, floors, paint, roof, siding, ETC) for only $30k all-in.

It would be incredibly difficult (probably impossible) to find a house this nice and with everything brand new (HVAC, water heater, appliances, floors, paint, roof, siding, ETC) for only $30k all-in.

@Kyle Joseph 25% is pretty standard for non-owner occupied investment properties.  

The environmental controls are very tight and underground storage tank (UST) operators are held to strict standards for regular inspections and monitoring. 

I don’t know exactly all the overhead costs monthly with water, AC, electricity, or if the tenants would pay thay themselves.

Is this the standard?