There are still plenty of mold-factory basement guys working, especially down in the southern states where insulation isn't the same kind of problem it is in, say, Minnesota.I am a handyman.

hi all i am a new landlord and got my first rental property. tenants moved in in September and October. the first month was fine but when December hit it got extremely cold and the heating is electric. due to poor insulation in the home that we did not know about the heat has to be turned very high up to keep the home warm, however since everything is electric it is causing the electric bill to be $800. the utilities are the tenants responsibility. however because of this one of the tenants has been extremely non compliant with paying rent.

This involves more work such as exterior walls, weather proofing, insulating, adding electrical, and heating/cooling.

They also have a dedicated number for my tenants to call for any issues, giving me a layer of insulation from being too accessible to them.This makes most sense to owners who work full time jobs, has over 4 units to manage and do not want to pay for a full-service property manager.

Having 100 SFRs vs 100 units in an apartment community both provide insulation from vacancy and major expenses in one or a handful of doors. 

Energy Efficiency ImprovementsInstalling energy-efficient windows, doors, insulation, and HVAC systems can appeal to modern buyers who want to reduce utility bills.

I was thinking that the very thin hard carpet could serve as a sound insulation layer, and just installing click together LVP right over the thin carpet and the thin hard stick on tiles. 

However to save money when she had the house built, she left the basement unfinished--it is just studs, insulation, and windows/doors, plus plumbing in the foundation.

You are correct that insulation is almost certainly a bigger bang for the buck in a heating climate.

Sounds like if you know and follow the rules you should not only be OK but pretty well insulated from competition (people swarming in and oversaturating)