my landlord tried entering my apartment without telling us, but was unsuccessful. they told us that an insurance agency needed to come in because they were trying to refinance their mortgage. we are verrry suspicious of them selling the house behind our backs. i was wondering if this is normal. thanks

Especially with a rental, it’s pretty common for an insurance company to want to see the INSIDE of the units, to examine for preexisting hurt, and to verify the utilities.
Most likely, he’s ALSO getting a new insurance company.