I will likely do the whold pad-not just a skim since the cracks go all the way through.

Maybe I am reading the wrong books or overcomplicating it, but it seems like this area gets skimmed over.From the research I have been doing, going through an agent in any market likely means you are getting a Market/Retail price.

No one should really be living in there, I think the city could condemn if they were aware of it.They have attempted to 'repair' it by skim coating over parts of the ceiling and painting over it, of course it just grows right through because they are trying to hide it and not fix it.After 6 months and no sale, they drop their MLS ask price to $749,000.I contact my agent at the start of Sept and said I would be a buyer at $600,000. 

is there an end-game strategy, or next step, to really start milking some equity out of these properties? 

The people who textured the ceiling apparently didn't skim coat the drywall before they textured the ceiling.

Gallon of milk is up 20%, gas is up 20%, wages are in theory (lol) up 20%, gold/silver up 20%, bitcoin went up 1000% then dropped 980% 2 milliseconds later (good luck at that casino, and props if you win, someone has to), so it's up 20%, rent is up 20%, stocks on average are up 20%, you get the idea. 

He may be a good handyman but if he's getting a reduced rent rate in exchange for work, he will find a way to milk it until you are broke.

Milk it as best you can to get yourself in a better financial situation!  

I skimmed through DR's Money Makeover book and realized that anyone who needs the advice in that book is a lot more lost about money than I am ... which is to say they're pretty lost.

The animals held their value in dollar terms and he could eat or sell their milk for short-term cash.