This would allow us to work on the plans & permits for the new construction so that we can basically follow her out with an excavator to immediately start the demo - to make up for some of that long holding time. 

Ideally I could knock out at least the demo and permitting from afar.

Demo began a week later.

We plan to do the demo ourselves.

She still wont sign.. title company now wants an amended order from the judge which was another legal bill. and the title company wanted 90 days to pass to give the lady a chance to appeal.. that all pass's and we finally close Lady never did sign .. and title company just fed exed her proceeds check to her.. we then had to evict her that took another 6 months in Portland.. and after all of that we demo's the house.. but we had 3 lots underneath it and now there are 3 new constructions there.. 

Leave, paint, or demo and replace?  

When estimating a budget that has been completed without a permit one has to consider that each subcontractor is going to have to come out initially (1x trip charge) open up the walls (demo cost) undo whatever has been done incorrectly & redo everything over again. 

This would require some demo work and I would not be able to get as high of a rent obviously and it would reduce my ROI. 

I have begun some demo as I started to work out the details but am thinking I should stop until this is finalized..

You never know what you will find when they start the demo process.