I would clean it up ASAP and zero-scape the property as much as possible to cut down on maintenance and water usage.

Cut your losses.

Things that are aesthetic specific, almost always I would buy myself, but the labor is pretty cut and dry on these.

And no, you can't cut the commission to 3% by putting that in the contract....a purchase contract is between the buyer and the seller whereas the commission is established in the listing contract.

I feel like my buyer got an exceptional deal on this home, mainly because I wanted the security of having it sold and at the earliest possible settlement date.I could easily see how a seller who doesn't care about their reputation would be more likely to cut corners and skip on some small details in this scenario.

I have an old Lumix GH2 and am looking to maybe rent a wide lens as my current one just doesn't cut it.

Their granite CT was about the same price as a quote for a custom cut laminate CT.

Sometimes, they just see what they can get away with, especially with a property manager who will just blindly cut checks on any invoice that comes in. 

Are there areas where you could cut your expenses or raise your income?

As for the commission tax, I am hoping to just cut the purchase price by 3% rather than taking a commission.