However the police forced entry into the home and apparently kicked the front door in and busted out the jam by the latch and the trim and some plaster.

Ceiling, walls, trim, 3 doors and 2 windows.

It took me a while to look past the numbers and think about owning the house and the age of the roof, type of siding, windows, sewer lines, trees that will need to be trimmed or taken down eventually, the condition/age of the furnace and AC, etc.

Also, since he started the work, the expenses have been minor so far (lead encapsulation paint, metal trim coverings for inside windows, tools to do it, etc.)  

What about trim , wrapping the windows , caulk , any rotten wood , disposing of the old windows , thats an old house , there are probably lead paint issues ( need someone certified) Look at the whole picture , penny wise and dollar foolish is a common mistake .

We went with the 3/4" hardwood floors, 12"x12" high end tile, Corian countertops and a very high end trim job.

Just to follow up, he rented that house out a week later after trimming one over grown tree and installing a 150 dollar used stove.

I'm painting it dark gray with white trim.

I figure that I would definitely tear out all the carpet flooring and base trim.

Really nice 6 inch hardwood trim throughout the house with oak hardwood floors in every room, but the kitchen.