If that's the case, wouldn't there be some punishment or penalty if you advertised a property as having hardwood floors when its really bamboo or laminate?

The most satisfying punishment for what they are doing to you is the crappy life they're going to have to lead, caused by their irresponsibility and bad behavior. 

I still deal with this in the IT field, where agenda falls to my feet with great punishment.

Gaby: are you going back for more punishment???

Check local laws-I’m my state in Australia the landlord must provide facilities to dry clothing be that a cloths line or a dryer but they don’t need to provide a washing machine, seems weird but there it is.The catch 22 is that if you as the land lord provide it then you must maintain it- no good deed goes in punished after all.That said, you  can put terms in the lease that IF and additional appliance breaks you won’t replace it, as long as there is mutual agreement in the agreement at the onset. 

I want to do everything I can to pay for it or not be punished significantly by the debt in my life later.With all that information, is there anything I can do in real estate with no money?

:if he is advising you to settle with 17K he may very well be giving you good advice, especially if you got smashed in CT.Don’t know the circumstances, but don’t punish someone for giving honest advice you don’t like…good way to make things worse

And foregoing mortgage payments while interest continues to accrue also isn’t a solution because it’s still punishing landlords. 

I'd take that over having the rest of my life ruined by a bad decision that never stops punishing me financially.Back to some good news; there is a specific line of investor-centric multi family investment buildings in Utah County that are as far on the opposite end of that spectrum as they could be.

Although the appraisers were not punished they were formally reprimanded in writing for violating multiple standard rules from USPAP.