Thanks Gregory, Your answer seems to be the common path to take from here.

If you layout a path it may not go the exact way the plan is laid out, but you have a target that you're aiming at getting to and a lot of the secondary decisions fall into place and are clear when you know where you are headed.Congrats on being in a great place with real estate and options!

Cost approach A straightforward method that adds the cost of the land to the cost of building construction.

I think there's a path to refinance that would flip me into positive cash flow, but I'm coming up short on ideas. 

There are just too many..not even outdated sales tactics.. but FLAGS that are affecting my decision to go down this path.

So, while I completely understand your perspective, I’m looking for a way to balance taking calculated risks with creating a stable path forward.

@Collin H. yes this is in a residential neighborhoodI will definitely try and push back to the city and see if they will honor their previous issuance of the permit without having to go down the path with the Board.If they say no we'll see what the Board says.

In fact, for tax sales in PA, the parcel number check is usually best performed first, to see what mortgages can be found (if any); seeing a big mortgage means it's best to move on to the next property on the list.And on a side note, IRS liens can be wiped out at foreclosure of any kind, provided the IRS lien is in a junior position and provided that proper notice is served upon the IRS. 

She walked away with $1,500 in hand, and we salvaged the deal, netting $8,500 in the process.That deal reinforced two crucial lessons: first, title issues can create unexpected hurdles, even in straightforward transactions.

That's been pretty well fleshed out as the idiots path, persons with diddly squat for $ buying SubTo.