After the HOA hired a construction team to investigate they saw that it has been going on for some time and has been entering underneath the hardwood floor over the cement(subflooring).

Will 1/4" cement board (or 1/2") plus tile thickness cause an issue with stair heights?

We would be looking at quite an investment however with the purchase of the land, possibly installing a bulk head, sewer, power, cement, pilings, deck, and a few improvements like fixing sheetrock, adding shutters, etc.So in summary, we are considering moving our current home to a higher value piece of land and then selling.  

@Rich Thomas, if you know the person well (i.e. family member) then typical rates are 8-10%If it is an acquaintance (friend, dentist, Dr, lawyer, etc) then 10-14% 

. :-) Anyone know hungry commercial brokers in San Angelo, TX that might want to work with a kind of cranky dentist and his outdated practice?

Jacking the house up, installing new footings and cement block.  

We were all studying engineering & during classes with a professor he told us about a black waterproof hydraulic cement impervious to salt damp that we could use to supplement the first course of the wall.

I put all new flooring in the upper level of their unit, its a bi-level duplex, and the bedrooms are in the basement, which has carpeting, as did my side, but I tore my carpet out due to years of dog urine never cleaned out of it, which soaked into the cement and even after enzyme cleaning and layers of scent sealing paint and then vinyl plank flooring, I can still smell it in the damp weather.

Needs to be filled w something...but not cement.

Due to the risk of hurricanes we need to build the main structures from block, steel and cement.