Replacing the vinyl will rarely qualify because I am sure it will be greater than 1) Lesser of 2% of your basis in the property or $10k  for a small taxpayer safe harbor. 2)  a $2500 to qualify for a de minimis safe harbor, if replacing would qualify, usually not being a structural component of a building.  

In your particular case, it will boil down to a few things: who you invest with in the US (most important), solid cross-border CPA and investment strategy. 

Either way it will benefit us greatly to have control of the house and de-junk it.

Perhaps I should focus my efforts south of the border. 

George Dube and Peter Cuttini both CPA that work together across both borders.

This included removing all weed / growth, installing a brick border, laying out landscaping cloth and stone.

The three most common products that qualify for 1031 treatment and tax deferral but are absolutely passive in nature are the Tenants In Common (TIC), the NNN lease or ground lease, and the Delaware Statutory Trust. 

Hi BP community - I'm seeking input from landlords and property owners in Dover, Wilmington, and Newark DE. 

I want to form an LLC in Delaware to cover my out of state buy and hold properties in the Midwest (Kansas City, MO).

@Craig DiSanto, if I'm choosing who to close with I always opt for Borders and Borders.