Foreclosure - fireplace issue

[Heidi M.]

Looking at purchasing a foreclosure. When I toured the house I found a hole in the drywall and a pipe with a giant hole in it. I assume it’s the flue. The house smells like smoke and the vents in the ceiling are are black. My question is can I simply remove the fireplace or is there more to it then that. We’ve never had a project this big and this house could make a great rental if we purchase right