Looking for signs of leaks is my #1 reason for annual interim inspections...I always check under sinks (taking pics) and also take pics of ceilings in general, especially bathroom and kitchens, and floors in all the suspect areas (toilet, tub, laundry, sink base, under-counter water heater, etc.) and depending on the apparent age of the unit, I try to get a look at accessible window sills if this is an issue I have any concern about.

Laminate is great and we do use it in kitchens and bathrooms and when the HW is non existent but it is more expensive per square foot (tends to cost us about $1.70/sf when we install ourselves but can be much more) than HW refinishing.

The idea is just to remodel the minimum necessary to increase the ARV.Getting the property for 350K and comps are 370-450K.that's a super wide spread for comps. not knowing the condition of this property, it's hard to say what top items you need. kitchens and bathrooms add the most value, so i would look at those, but your budget is very limited and i still question your arv calculation.

I wish I could show the pictures dry rotted dog poop, trash every where along with spiders and roaches open cans of ravioli under a bathroom sink, spiders and roaches in curtains and receptacles and every crevice and even inside the stove.

I finished the basement which added a bedroom and another bathroom, made it a 5/4. 

Of course you will only have to pick finish materials, you don't have to estimate how mich thinset and how many backerboard you need when tiling a bathroom, but you need to pick what color tile you want.

Not what you expect you can sell, but what is the average price of the house that have the same type, bedroom number, bathroom number, etc in the area?

Well after some time and research it was my lazy 8 yr old son who didn't want to make the treck upstairs to take a piss in the bathroom.

(For example, I wanted to add a nice medium-low priced ceiling fan and bathroom fixtures whereas my handyman suggests the cheapest ones possible or not putting them in at all since it is a rental) I do want to keep the place in good condition, but I realize that I will lose my cash flow that way.

I had a plumber go by yesterday to do a leak detection, and he found a slab leak under the bathtub in the bathroom.