This not only got rid of the smell but it masked the smell long enough for it to go away on its own and allowed me to still schedule showings.

You pick a cool all day drizzle in early spring, put on a rain suit,a respirator mask,and goggles. 

I legit took white primer (the house is light blue) and just painter all the spots that were peeling to get the fha approved.

As for texturing on the walls, the orange peel looks great and makes for easy maintenance (and as you stated, new homes have this).  

When I got the keys to the house back, I had to enter with vesperator masks, as the smell was so bad.

Laminate should have around the same installed cost as carpet, and can be used pretty effectively in wet areas like kitchens and baths, so you don't have to worry about replacing peeled/bubbled sheet vinyl or linoleum either.

The blend can also be between those purchased with upside (appreciation) and for cash flowYou can then do some tax sheltering to mask W2 income and keep more of what you earn.

I'm thinking about just removing everything down to the sub floor and buying several boxes of peel and stick vinyl planks,. as the most affordable option.

Tell him you have covid and don't wear a mask.

A lot of times previous owners will just lay plywood over the old sub floor to mask problems.