New roof, siding, central ac/heat, water heater, lights, carpets, toilets, counters and faucets (they are not gold btw) in bathrooms, paint, lots of new trim and finish items (vent registers, baseboards, etc.), and full clean up of yard and exterior.

Better pics with better lighting and blinds open.

They look distressed and I've never seen a light on or car in the drive way.

This is exciting and I am sure it was great seeing this come to light. 

I know this doesn't give you a specific to-do list - but hopefully it sheds some light on the thought process involved before just doing a cash-out refi or securing a HELOC and still wondering what to do with those funds!  

If the planners don't support it or think the city won't support it, you have a challenging task - which is why we rely upon the Comprehensive Plan if there is one.Assuming we have a tenative green light, the code should outline what is required for the process, and the planner should be able to clarify the requirements. 

Key additions and fixes were structural (sump pump, sewer lateral [mandatory], foundation bracing), but there were many cosmetic additions like recessed lighting, automated sprinklers, etc.

Yakov Smirnov still performs just an hour south of you where he tries to warn you first hand of the dangers of the failed soclialist government of the former Soviet Union and why capitalism is so much better.

Interesting Eddie...Can you shed any more light on how this works?

Anyway, in light of the points and caveats raised by everyone above, I think I'm really just interested in seeing a few examples of how small investors have gone about evaluating and comparing a handful of markets.