Heat tape won't be enough because the washer drain pump will be plastic and usually contains water - so likely to crack if it freezes. 

Ive seen more than a few wreck their business by not following that custom.

If they were able to enter through customs and get a stamp showing they are here legally I would probably accept that.However, I must say that in my limited (3 separate tenants) experience the biggest issue I had was one guy smoking on the premise when it was prohibited.

If you or your parents are an obligator on the note you could look up the mortgage statement and call the customer service number to order the "mortgage note," or you can go back to your closing documents and the mortgage note should be in the closing package close to where the trust deed or mortgage papers are.

The company does have very positive grade with the BBB but if you go on BBB website you will also see how many unhappy customers they have. 

They were building a custom, smaller house and facing some health issues.  

Just don't let it affect your view of future tenants, there are some good ones out there and as having been one of them, it sucks when your landlord automatically assumes the worst just because you're a tenant - remember they're ultimately the customer.

The sink is custom made and has a horrible faucet on it.

Maybe I'm unique but if I ever had to present a client with an offer containing a contingency that the buyer had to view the property in person, I would advise them to toss it in the trash.  

Since we're in this biz, we must have a consistent, daily presence in order to gain exposure and build credibility with our customers/clients/leads.