If you were thinking about putting on a vinyl product, I would leave what you have and paint.

See http://cadetheat.com/products/wall-heaters/energy-plus

In my town the cops couldn't be bothered to take action when someone pulled a gun on my friend, but even given that they are more productive than our fire department.

@Michael Gammage - I'm unfamiliar with the product, however since you're looking for a deal analysis tool, you may want to try ours out here on BP.http://www.biggerpockets.com/real-estate-investment-calculator

What products/methods have people used to help "soak up" dampness and moisture in a basement?

I can guarantee you that you and J Scott or Will Barnard could complete the exact same flip - same labor, same finishes, same product, same everything - and they can get that done a heck of a lot cheaper than you can. 

That being said, some common themes we see are lots of dark stained hardwoods (people are starting to ask for wider planks), wood stained front doors, ceramic tile or natural stones ( we don't do any laminate or vinyl products), painted cabinets (generally a white or gray), combined with an accent piece (could be an island or wet bar area) of a different color. 

I just dug it up, this is from the coresspondance i received denying my claim " the law in maryland has long been established that before a local government is required to pay a citizen for a loss, the claimant must first show that the city had notice of the defect that caused the loss and a reasonable opportunity to repair the defect.

Home Depot sells a "Tub and Tile Refinishing Kit" for $26 that will address this issueThere's also different tub epoxy products on ebay you can try that can be used for repairing larger cracks

A busy street is a significant, incurable defect and will reduce the value of a property.