To level off that kind of dirt to bring it close to street level would require very expensive grading and likely a retaining wall.

If you put a color closer to the colors of the stone it will blend better, and make the walls look taller rather than broken in half.

Often just a wall or two need it, not the whole place.

It was removing a wall and putting up a new one in a different spot.

In the beginning I assumed it was Wall Street type funds moving money into RE for a few years.

I was thinking keep the old baseboards (save $3500), no shutters (save $600), only replace 2 exterior doors (save $600), just paint gutters (save $1100), maybe scartch the backsplash and pantry (save $800), maybe do laminate instead of hardwood (save $2000), possibly don't open up the walls (save $2500) but I am hard pressed to find other ways.

Problem solved.My turnover costs were general very low and about the same each time ... clean the carpets and paint at least one wall to give the place a fresh smell.I stopped doing lease only back in the 1990s because of the tremendous success of the lease-option concept.I found there to far more advantages to the lease-option than disadvantages.

Are the walls messed up because they pulled the wires?

At first glance one can't help but think investors have purchased these houses, slap white paint on the walls and get them listed for rent as quickly as possible.I can't help but wonder if updating such a dated house would help it rent faster since it looks newer inside.

I am assuming it has mold issues from the looks of the exterior (gaping hole in the exterior wall), and it is just plain gross.