For that property, I think I need to add a clause for billback for excessive use.  

How to remove mildew:1) repair leak where water is coming from2) rip out damaged drywall and framing3) let area air out to allow all moisture to escape4) replace framing/drywall It's not rocket science, people try to make this more difficult than it needs to be

I'd love to connect sometime and pool skill sets or just talk shop and meet a like minded individual in the area, especially one familiar with the insides of properties as I'm able to force most of my appreciation on the exterior with lots of free material and excess stone and plants and such from work with a large network of landscapers and suppliers around. 

These seem pretty excessive to me on a refi.  

Agree with @Steve Vaughan - If the debt is low-APR, your cash can be better deployed to investments with greater return than 4-5%.The general advice ladder is:Build emergency fundPay off high interest debt rapidlyDeploy cash into savings and long-term growth investments with good ROIContinue to service those low interest debts for years, with excess cash deployed elsewhere.

You can also tell them that if they move out earlier, you will refund the excess rent they paid to stay until the end of the month.

@Frank Salas Those seem like some excessively strict guidelines...I would start talking to a lot of small local banks/credit unions until you start hearing some better requirements.

So, a lot of money is wasted that could have been used for savings for eventually buying.In some cases, the excess rent is used towards the purchase, but the renter still has to qualify for a mortgage.

Plumbing, electrical and HVAC all need completely replaced...this part we had a good idea of, but the excess costs including the mold are escalating beyond what we budgeted for since this is a 3,000 sf house.  

And any excess start up costs over 5k (or any costs that don't get deducted due to phase out) are also amortized.