Could you possibly clean it off with razor style floor scrapers?

Can the health and safety of this duplex meet VA - water heaters strapped, no leaking plumbing, roof great? 

Properties are declared condemned for safety reasons.

I agree, ensuring safety and limiting liability is a primary concern.

From a lending prospective reserves are a safety net.

.- she cash-out refis and we invest together on something- she adds me to the title, seasons for 6-months, I cash out refi and invest- she sells to me under market so I have a safety net of equity in the property, the $600/ pays the note and we use the money on the sale to invest- she sells and we move on to something else (but uncle lives next door and uses the property for storage, so has talked her into not selling at the moment)$120k cash is silly sitting there generating $600/month... 

But if there are life-safety issues, i.e. heat not working in the winter, and they have notified landlord, and landlord has had adequate time to make repairs but chosen not to, the tenant can pay their rent into escrow at the courthouse.  

Like it or not, the majority of voters in America want more taxes (to fund more government programs like health care) and they want safety and security of Uncle Sam protecting them from the worlds harms.

@Lamont Marable check your local building and fire codes...putting living space below grade carries a lot of life-safety requirements and needs to be permitted...worst case...if there is a fire and tenants cannot escape...and you knowingly put living space below grade without the required safeguards in place...RE investing career over...Just do it right if you venture down that path...hiring an architect is always the best approach to something like thisBest of luck

The house just needs to pass basic safety standards.