I assume that the price $/per sf is lower on these homes, due to the daylight basement, as ramblers built by the same builder across the street are currently at the $300/sf range.    1.)

Each area usually has certain types of properties that are more desirable than others, such as condos do not do that well in Apache Junction but they are quite popular in downtown areas. 

Those are Universes apart on many different levels.Also can't be comparing 1,000,000 sq ft malls to neighborhood street retail 20,000 sq ft and under.

If we were in a normal world I'd say maybe some paid meal vouchers at a local really popular restaurant/brewery, all the way up to some weekend trip or day thing somewhere.

Location still stands as the most important, even within a suburb, it can come down to the street, neighbors, whether there is an anomaly, like high wires, or nearby railroad tracks, etc. 

I've read time and again the street a property resides on is one of if not *the* most important factors when valuing a home.Why then, even entertain the deal?

Instead of saying he was right and being defeated and settling for the smaller condos down the street I took it as a challenge to show him I could handle the job.

It was a merciful step to  make sure people were not on the streets during the pandemic, but now that it is largely passed, this is a good move.  

However, it was just renovated last year, in a good area, on a dead end street.

Plenty of off-street parking space.