Im not knockin absentees but its a game thats been played out and most owners, will tell you i get these letters every week....I dont feel the competitive stress, because most of the time im not competing against anyone but myself, and the fight is me sealing the deal....What im saying may sound like jibberish to you now, but it will sink in and you'll find yourself in a pocket of your own....All this analytical thinking is a time waster, just get out there and find out how to go against the competition.

Are the windows properly sealed and in good working order? 

A Glued down product will seal the floor.

Upon meeting with the tenant I advised them of the repairs I would be making (new A/C, Clearing bushes, sealing back area, painting handrails, adding smoke detectors and fixing toilet and bathtub caulking) and the amount I would increase their rent the following month and thereafter ($50/mo). 

If you don't plan to enforce it, then get rid of the rule.The entire house needs to be deep cleaned, then you paint with an oil-based primer to seal in the odor and nicotine.

Now I'm spending about $5k more on things that turn buyers off like living room windows with broken seals and a drop ceiling in terrible shape.

We are prepared to make a cash offer to seal a deal quickly.5.

Then I moved to Minnesota when 3M window film was all the rage, which made houses less drafty but sealed them up tight.  

I am working on building a garage apartment and have run into a need for a Soil Sample test to be conducted on my property in order for my structural engineer to put his seal on my drawings. 

They have really great looking simulated granite available for Formica now and it is cheap.Granite can be stained if it is not sealed regularly.