Each house needs to be evaluated carefully.

The perfect combination is a section 8 tenant with SSI/SSDI and unemployed...we trade safe, clean, and appropriately priced units, for a long term tenant that pays rent on time, every time.In reality, none of us are real estate investors, or landlords, we're housing providers...and as a society, the progress of the most vulnerable is a direct reflection on all of us...and in the US, we're close to the worst in the civilized world at housing people.

Well good luck and keep us posted with your progress!!!

All interested to see my ambitious progress. 

Eviction courts are processing evictions that are for non payment related issues so if you have solid evidence that there are pets in the home ( photos most likely, or something in writing from the tenant acknowledging the pets ) you may be able to make progress in that way if the lease specifically states that no pets are allowed. 

However, A light rail was planned to extend down a main street within walking distance and the house seemed to be in the path of progress.

I think it would be helpful to have some kind of assessment tool to evaluate larger cities' markets based on inventory, average time of properties on the market, appreciation rates, etc on a yearly or quarterly basis.

Also hard to keep track of the progress of a project from out of state.  

If this build is a custom or "one off" property then consult those comps to evaluate what the value will be.  

Check in every week for progress and let it play out