Fire damage is tricky.

I am considering buying the property in cash then hiring Servpro to fix the cigarette damage.

I would immediately send a certified letter to get rid of the cats and state the damage that is already done.

The person worked for H&R Block, now works for TurboTax Live and is being honest about their skills: NOT QUALIFIED.

of course the sale of hurricane damaged houses also confuses the issue (my house had no such damage but is only about 4 blocks from houses that did). 

of course the sale of hurricane damaged houses also confuses the issue (my house had no such damage but is only about 4 blocks from houses that did).

Given the property is located in the Poconos and the property is vacant more regularly as an STR there are proactive measures  you should  be taking such as making sure there are heating sources so that the plumbing does not freeze and ensuring there are no blocks in the plumbing lines with routine checks.

Quote from @Alex Tang: One of my rentals was heavily damaged by a fire after Thanksgiving. 

Hello!I am 59 years old, and my retirement fund is all in my 401k. I want to diversify and I feel like the best way to accomplish that is through real estate. I am currently trying to learn as much as possible by read...

On the disclosure form, the seller had indicated “no” to any known damages.