Look how this beautiful range hood instantly elevates the look of this kitchen.Consider butcher block counter topsIf a little paint can’t solve your kitchen problems, but it’s not in the budget to upgrade to quartz or granite, consider butcher block countertops.

You may look for a "pre-fab" countertop supplier who sells half slabs (perfect for counters and already fabricated.Look on Pinterest for a little inspiration and start collecting ideas, then see the common look that you gravitate towards.If you'd like to hop on a call, I'd be happy to help with some pointers.

And if the heat hasn't been on at all, due to freezing in the winters, there could also easily be busted pipes and flooding on the main floor as well.

He explained the prior tenant hung a picture there, drove a nail threw the wall, dented a pipe. 

The existing system is pretty old cast iron except some ABS pipe towards the front of the property before going into the street.

Some things that might be a concern:1) Obviously have to make sure things are all permitted first2) I don't want the room to "feel" like an addition, so flooring has to be same level/standardized with the rest of the house3) Unlike the rest of the house that has an identically-shaped 2200sqft basement underneath, this added space will not have a basement directly underneath it -- I'm not sure if this poses major cons for some reason that I'm not aware of4) Especially given the lack of basement underneath, I have to make sure that the HVAC can still somehow be piped into this room#2 and #3 are probably my biggest concerns (#1 and #4 I can find out relatively easily)Any tips/thoughts or other experience would be greatly appreciated. 

They ones that need new roofs, have broken pipes, no heat source, or have water damage.

Many camps will counter to power of leverage and they are right, if used properly and under the right market conditions it is a powerful tool.

In January...pipes froze in a 6” fire sprinkler system in a mixed use property.....10k the owner agrees to do the work and give me 90 days.

That way the taxpayer can either pay the fees and redeem or would have to counter-claim.