Emphasis on how well you screen.        

In the past I have worked various jobs from warehouse jobs, to teacher’s assistant in a high school, to even a mechanic apprentice.

Hi @Lewis C.Larger multifamily buildings are a far cry away from SFR, and as you might expect, the due diligence is much more involved.For starters, all mechanicals in the building need to be evaluated intensely.

The seller's agent showed us the home, with much emphasis on the basement/ground level floor.

If they can find a way to align incentive, like a bonus for finishing in a certain time frame, they could create a mechanism to get what they need from this architect. 

Trenching around the property is the preferred mechanism, but in an attached multifamily situation, you would need to trench below the units along the adjoining walls.   

I have been to mechanics school,Welding school,cut meat for 35 years, ran heavy equipment, been an over the road truck driver and owned a butcher shop.  

Since all the mechanicals are in the basement it goes without saying that the furnace, water heater, and electrical panel will all need to be replaced.

Always remember to do the math analysis and try to look at the prospective property before you make an offer or at least have a clause in the sales contract that allows you some time (usually 15 days) and to allow you to back out without a penalty that will not hurt you too much.I also went to college, not that it is mandatory, and I got a business degree that had a real estate emphasis.  

Curious how the 'mechanics' of a transaction like this work.