There would be big vents that open in the ceiling at the top of the stairs with a switch nearby.

So of course he began to fix it, but it became apparent that the joints had been cut because the house was heavy and the cement running around the house was crumbling - something my inspector said he would have 50/50 caught - basically he would have only caught the cut joints had he seen them (and neither did either of the foundation teams).

Have you checked your stair tread length?

The house need to replace roof, siding, and outside stair way have some damage.

Thankfully I signed a lease out of college so I have some time to research, gain knowledge, and further cement my approach! 

So i got on Home advisor to look for someone that could give me a quote on fixing my chipped steps and i was quoted $800-$3300 just to fix the chips $3300 just to replace all 5 of my front steps he said he used some of the best quality cement $25 a bag the good stuff he said and it would last longer.

Here's his description of the job:"Trying to design a simple cement circular driveway for my house.

This is part of the learning experience.As a former carpet cleaner if it is cat urinating forget about it and you will %99 of the time have to replace carpet, pad and possibly tack strip and base trim not too mention sealing cement floors etc.Dog urine can be easier to deal with depending on dog.

I'm now wondering if that will carry more sound from up stairs or  if it will act as another sound barrier better than drywall?

I pointed out that after factoring for the real vacancy rate and real PM cost (13.8%) with lease up fees and etc, those investments were nearly cemented in stone negative after accounting for inflation and the known averages of no appreciation.