The tenant keeps a very clean house but growth is identified on every surface.

New Duplex command premium value as few surface the market.  5 year commitment is quite risky as I am sure you want him out or vise versa way before.

They look over the property in detail, identify what has to be fixed and break it down for each structure (for us, house, detached garage, well house, and shed) and for each surface (roof and each side). 

We basically put it into a spray bottle and hit the surfaces a few times until the smell has lessened. 

I've been doing it for a few years, and I have just scratched the surface in things that I'm learning.

Department of Housing and Urban Development.If it all works according to plan, the result may be that cities have an easier time buying foreclosures, redeveloping them and then reselling them to homeowners in neighborhoods hardest hit by the housing crisis.It also gives communities an upper hand in buying a foreclosed home cheap, before it's snapped up by the investors that already are starting to surface in some neighborhoods.

I find paneling (and drop ceilings) often being used to hide problematic surfaces - either big holes or cracks that are tough to keep repaired.

What is the best way to get a paintable surface?

I was looking on realtor.com and found some on the surface looked decent by the numbers ,arounnd 50% of the estimated property value.

They don't regrout anything as grout takes awhile to dry and you can't apply the epoxy to wet surfaces.