Others have hit it on the head.

Quote from @Scott MacComb: I have had contractors just do a small list on a paper napkin, and some do something on a word document.

I got a HELOC loan on the home for $130k.

The city wants to tear the property and surrounding properties down Zillow said it’s worth 38000The city offer me 13000.I could use some adviceHard to give advice with limited information, but as a general rule, the longer you wait and the further down the line their project is the more valuable your property will be to them.Zillow (and all automatic online) estimates are very unreliable, so don't base on that.

If one is in Canada, they would have to use Canadian QuickBooks version, and so on. 

Again, the BiggerPockets store has some books on this topic, or you can learn about it by watching podcasts, reading blogs, and interacting on the forum.

I have been reading the online resources about getting started, searching the market, and even doing tours, but I am hesitant to jump in and buy a house as I have quite a large amount of student debt.

Just a builders risk policy if you are doing an extensive rehab on the property and then a landlord dwelling policy when the property is rented.

Bring on your stories and wisdom!

Can you speak on how you source granite slabs cost effectively?