He put in the contract that the project may go over due to circumstances beyond his control like permit delays, weather or illness.

Zero out and saving money means instant ROI in most peoples' minds.Every circumstance is different.

This is not the case, there are over a million members here and a lot are serious entrepreneurs who have many other priorities, busy lives etc. which means you have to be proactive, when socializing, engaging, communicating ideas and asking for help.2) There is typical no absolute answer: Everything in life is nuanced and the advice you receive may be great but you have to take into consideration your circumstances, and know yourself.

All our rentals are in C/D areas and we do not install carpet under any circumstances.

As @Basit Siddiqi has said, you'll probably have to add the improvements as a separate asset to get it to calc correctly.Alternatively, may be able to expense the $2k of capital improvements as de minimis depending on the facts and circumstances.

Apologies if I neglected to introduce myself to you, hope to catch you on the next one.

Depends on the facts and circumstances."

If you moved because of work, military assignment, work in the intelligence industry, health reasons, or another IRS-approved 'unforeseen circumstance', you may be eligible for a pro-rate exemption.https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/the-partia...https://www.irs.gov/publications/p523#en_US_2018_p...

A friend of mine lost her entire life savings when she invested with a sponsor that turned out to be a thief, not to mention an ex-con (convicted felon who conveniently neglected to disclose this fact in the PPM as required).  

Depending on the circumstances of each individual, more information may be requested by the lender.