A new kitchen could be $5K for cabinets, appliances, etc, or could be $20 with me subflooring, rotten studs, new insulation, cutting through stone for a vent, etc etc etc.

Now as an investor I rarely use agents, but when I have to it’s been the same, all checks get cut at closing table.

Evictions, particularly for non-payment of rent, are very cut-and-dry as long as you can document things.

If you are able to rent out both sides for $800 each, making your gross rents be $1600 a month, that is just over a 1% deal, which is a typcial cut-off point for many investors (in other words, if your monthly rent is less than 1% of the purchase price, don't buy it!)

Customer ended up paying me to both undo and redo the work, some material was totally ruined because miter cuts were done wrong, etc.

The past is the past.I would also point out two things based on your comments that may indicate why you chose to go in a different direction.  1) The use of a self-directed IRA custodian - where they have to sign every document and cut every check - is not well suited for a portfolio that involves a lot of assets or assets that create a lot of transaction activity. 

Same goes for deal sponsors - between the fees they earn and their cut of the profits from the deal, they typically earn more dollars investing other people's money in larger, lower-ROI projects than they'd earn investing their own money in smaller, higher-ROI projects. 

At this point I am concerned he would continue to get involved with the tenants and operation of the property after the sale of the property, and bank financing is the only way to cut ties with him. 

If you are a suit and tie investor you may not be cut out for this line of investing.

I bought a lot of tax sale stuff there in the day.. this area was also known as ground zero in the weed cultivation back in the late 70s and 80s  I cut my teeth selling Ranch land in that area as a young broker..