Luckily the wall had eggshell finish already and it was easy to scrub.I would smell test the slab after pulling the flooring back.

Anyone have experience with finding a contractor to help permit a finished but un-permited basement?

I'm assuming you are using basic finishes. 

I will be finished writing it after 2-3 months and would be happy to send the final copy to anyone interested :)Thank you in advance!

Use contractors for finishing and cheap labor if your not good at it like mud and taping.

I recently moved in my first house hack in a 125 yr old house that I gutted and 5% finished before moving in. 

Also, the state has to sign off on the finished product being free of contamination.

., significantly above comps) for very high end finishes, particularly in a town that is known for historic preservation.

I was working with someone who flaked and need to get this across the finish line asap. 

Our strategy is to buy and hold, benefit from the positive monthly cash flows, and sell after about 5 years of stress free property management.The issue I am having is selecting finishes that are reasonably affordable (dare I say cheap), durable for renters, and still get top $ on an appraisal when we go to refinance.