Schedule the work, plan it, start moving things in to complete, etc.You can narrate the situation meantime as communicating hope that you can still work things out with regards to rent, etc - seeing a place become nicer can also motivate someone. 

If you don't mind sharing.

I'm new to real estate investments, just have a question and would like as much feedback as possible.I found a motivated seller who wants out of their property.

While I am still learning, I plan on attending local REI meet ups in the South Florida region so I can get to know like minded individuals who share the same goals in real estate investing.  

Keep in mind the approval will only last a couple months, and the lender won't "lock in" the rate unless you have a signed purchase agreement.

Another thing about opportunity zones to keep in mind is that there's a lot of them some are in really risky areas but others are in great areas.

Have them determine the useful life of the big ticket items like roof, furnace, ac, electrical and plumbing and use that to determine what you need in reserves and consequently what you can afford to offer on the house.You'll also want to look at the cash flow in case of additional vacancies keeping in mind what the vacancy rate is in your area.

Also keep in mind non-rehab related costs such as holding costs (utilities, taxes, mortgage payments, etc) and selling costs (commissions - typically around 6% total, staging - if applicable, etc).

Mike, This may not be an issue for you, but keep in mind that coal and coal dust is acidic.

I've established my line of credit, I already have an investing real estate agent in mind and I'm not afraid to personally do some of the work on these flips.