New kitchen, bathroom, flooring throughout, as well as cigarette smoke mitigation. 

Good Morning BP folks,  I have a SFR (3bd/1bath) under contract that has heavy smoke damage. 

See how many are smoking in the parking lot.

an damaged microwave , it smoked from overdraw with running 2 freezers off a unauthorised surge strip outlet on 15 amp an extreme overloads with 6 strip outlets an wires running out door [ many major  fire codes violations] Can the cost on electrician ,that proved the circuits were overloaded   - [an he warned her on nec an fire  codes  an dangers of her overloading outlets, an  the wires going out front door]    on that 15 amp she illegally ran a strip outlet w freezers  an other circuit w 15 plugs on 1 -- be deducted along with the microwave replacement cost since it popped an smoked kicking breaker by her unauthorised freezers?

If your in the Chicagoland market 12% is the going rate unless your lender is family or friends.  8% would be a smoking deal as @Rick Pozos mentioned.  

Curious to see what 2021 brings...We are getting a lot of residential relocation clients from the southwest - number one reason I hear is smoke from fires, followed by cost of living and fresh water.

Literally contractors hear people talk like that all the time and 90% of the time they're blowing smoke to try and justify that they should be charged less than a "normal customer".

change batteries on the smoke detectors, change HVAC filters... 

I just rewired a fairly small 3-bedroom 1-story home, charged $21,000 and when all the tallying was done the cost for wire, metal flex, new light fixtures, 200-amp distribution panel, permits, carbon monoxide and smoke detectors, plaster and stucco patching holes, sales commission, labor and overhead was about $15,000 leaving me with a $6,000 profit (30%).

Lack of egress, smoke detectors, ceiling heights, access to furnace boiler, etc so many things that can cause issues.You are asking about whether you should do a lease already sounds like you are trying to avoid an issue by saying there is no lease.