@Travis HeppeI would always suggest putting money in your kitchen and bathroom finishes such as tile and maybe solid surface counters instead of laminate.

However, I'm looking to broaden my horizons, and I'm curious, to those who have a solid understanding of the financial side, how did you learn about it best?

All that matters, is if you can find a fair priced property and make a solid profit.

But the foundation and plumbing in this place are solid and it has some new windows on the 1st floor.

I assume the PMC uses these vendors frequently and they do solid work at a reasonable price.

I know a solid CPA who deals with a lot of real estate issues, and could probably answer this for you in a consultation.

Of course, I will have thorough 3rd party inspections done on both, but they're really clean & solid compared to other properties I've looked at.

If it were me waving it I would possibly cap it to a point but do my due-diligence beforehand and work with my agent to review comps and get a solid feel on the value so if the appraisal is short- if you still feel confident its worth it to you to pay what you are offering, then I would consider waiving it. 

Does anyone else find their investment cities providing solid grant programs?

I think I have found a pretty solid deal.