@George DempsterBanks look at the guidelines set by fannie/freddie for their underwriting.From what I remember - I think Fannie/Freddie were okay with 660/680 credit scores for a conventional mortgage.You may want to connect with a lender to see how much you can qualify to borrow.

I'm willing to bet that your flooring contractor is charging per sq. foot which means he makes more money by doing it the easy way.I'll be doing a flooring job soon and the only place I will be putting the flooring underneath anything is in the bathroom where it will go under the toilet and vanity only because it would be virtually impossible to install the vinyl planks in the small spaces between them and the walls and the tub. 

One lender agent said we can do a convention rehab loan Homestyle but I think this will be a hard sell for the bank as they will most likely want cash.Any advice, input, guidance appreciated!!

It no longer matters what damage was to the property, as they violated state law by not either returning your deposit, or sending you a written notice as to why they are charging some of your deposit. 

Would you guys mind giving me your advice as to how I should go about charging the utilities for the basement unit?

Use this DTI calculator - DTI calculatorIf your DTI is below 45% percent you should be able to get a conventional loan if your credit score is above 680.

Typically attorneys handle the eviction process, but a PM may charge an eviction management fee.

Biggest concerns with condos: Make sure they allow rentals if that is one of your goals, check on the availability of bank financing (FHA, VA, conventional) as that affects your buyer pool, Get a feel for how the HOA operates.

If your property rents for $1,000 a month and the property manager charges 10%, that would cost you $1,200 to hire them for a year.On the other hand, a rookie mistake like you just made could easily cost you several thousand dollars.You can start by going to www.narpm.org and search their directory of managers.

Do some searching on this board to figure out if it's legal in your area, how to split/charge commission, how to protect yourself with a contract, etc.