They won because it needed mainly cosmetics and they could live in it while working on it, so they bought a bargain for themselves.  

After these initial goals are accomplished, then I am able to set the bar even higher and go up from there.I read the Ultimate Beginner's Guide to REI a few times and have a fairly good understanding of the basics, which leads to believe that my goals can be accomplished a few ways.My question is: What would be the best way to go about it?

For now, thanks to crowdfunding, you're able to review many opportunities (if you're an Accredited Investor), which makes the learning process a LOT easier than what I went through, as I had to create a large network to find a good volume of opportunities.I think you're being very smart in not jumping into anything before you fully understand it, as there are always many risks to consider and in the end of the day it's imperative to know whether you're invested in an opportunity that has a fair (or perhaps favorable!)

Doing so is not fair to the buyer.

Sounds like it's fair to say that the preference would be LVP or wood, and to not even consider laminate. 

As a buyer, I view it as a bargaining chip! 

I a fairly new at this and panic every time I have trouble with the analysis.  

I think this is just a good record keeping bill, and is fair to those involved. 

We do analyze time versus cost, and when it's fairly obvious what the cost will be, like changing your oil, it's easier to make that decision.  

No it shouldn't, your concern should be are you paying a really fair price of $60, and not if I am making $1 or $30, greedy people will want a chunk of the $30, but never offer to give me more then the $1 when that is what I'm making.