Which, procrastination seems to be a disease I've been fighting forever. 

I guess the "blind" would be capable of doing that as well.

The big catch is that her parents, the actual home owners, are in a nursing home and I was left with the impression that they aren't capable of conducting business on their own.  

It's capable of doing Adobe Illustrator type stuff, but the difference is that it also has automatic dimensioning, which you need with technical drawings.  

A contractor is also capable of giving you an idea of what is load bearing, just to give you another option.

My first thought was to pour money into fighting the ordinance with a lawsuit just like everyone else.

these deals can take forever and a day.I own a 4 acre tract right across the street from the largest Indian casino in Northern CA  ( Graton Casino Rohnert Park)  have owned it since 1994.... there is 50 acres of prime development ground and 11 owners... when I went to a stakeholder meeting with the city.. it was evident that the majority were moms and pops that had NO CLUE about development and one would they think there land is good for this use.. ( which is not even remotely possible given the zone )  you have to fight these things... then one see a listing for dirt somewhere else maybe its a prime 1 acre corner commercial listed at 1 million.. they have 7 acres and jump right to the idea that their piece is worth 7 million...its this type of mindset that is dog tough in these situations..

As tom mentioned getting your Real Estate license is essential for being the most agile and capable investor.

It's not only time consuming but can also require a thick skin....I have had to break up more than one fight between subs who were voicing their opinions about each other's work.  

The agent wants to get paid and they need to know you have the capability to make a deal happen.