@Carol FromeI assume you are now managing the property since you said he is the 'former property manager'. 

Or the wife sitting in front of 2x4 aimed at her head & just hoping they're not rear ended.Two years ago, my wife and I saw a guy outside our local Lowes typing down a six-foot live Christmas tree to his roof rack with used bread bag twist ties around some of the branches. 

No one wants to buy a house and move amidst turkey day and Christmas and family in town and all that, half the agents that would otherwise be showing the listing are on vacation anyways, and first time homebuyers all have their new years resolutions to buy a home effective Jan 1.

I have already finished:Set for life - Scott Trench (changed my life)No and Low Money Down - Brandon Turner (my first BP book)The Book on: "Managing Rental Properties" & "Rental Property Investing"I've had my eyes on a few others and when I heard BP was having a sale on books I told my beautiful most amazing wife "now is the time to buy my Christmas gifts"!

At least they are still in there for Christmas.

Slab will be poured before Christmas, fingers crossed, and we will begin to go vertical.

You don’t buy them Christmas gifts bake them cookies or go to their birthday parties .

They won’t ask you if aunt sally gave you $50 at Christmas where it came from.I have done commercial mortgages for years now and I won’t go back to the residential loans.  

You absolutely wait until the rehab is finished, the property will rent for more, show better, you won't suffer from stale listing syndrome and depending on how long the rehab takes you may come out of the slow season between Thanksgiving and Christmas

That being said, my son and I jointly buy and sell based on a handshake and on the fact he still wants to vacation with us for Thanksgiving and Christmas. ;-) When we (our LLC's actually) do a project together we split the project, costs and profits 50/50.