We are late in the game but hopefully we can catch-up leveraging the plethora of knowledge that exists on this platform. 

@Denny KnappAs an investor, you get a good idea of rehab price points by getting quotes from multiple contractors and doing rehabs. 

I am new to the real estate game.

Congrats on getting in the game.

I've helped multiple investors over the years in this exact situation and while it is definitely more difficult to sell a property with tenants in place, it does happen all the time!

Buy good quality things once rather than poor quality and pay multiple times to replace it.

If you sue, and have to "prove" that the neighbor was negligent, then that would likely need to consist of multiple “written” communications from you, the city, or an arborist to your neighbor stating that you/they feel the tree in question is diseased, appears to be dead/dying, is overgrown and posing a potential threat to your property, etc.

I've asked lender multiple times if there is any way to avoid it and they answer is a consistent NO.

It’s always good to shop around or even negotiate a flat fee if you plan on doing multiple deals. 

Refinancing game is tricky.