You would be extremely surprised.

There is no quick fix.He should probably stay somewhere else in the meantime, and not be surprised if more damage occurs before its all over.

Our group is looking to take advantage of emerging markets with C class properties in B or A areas.

Then again it's the principle that she's using the washer and dryer.I can't lock the basement because she may need access to it in case of an emergency (power jumps, heater doesn't work, etc)Am I overthinking this?

To my surprise the owner of 30 years said yes he is retiring and would like to sell but he hasn't attempted to yet.

So to @Jay Hinrichs  point, talk with your family and friends, you may be surprised by the interest you generate.

There's plenty of people who will give you the cash to do deals, think a little bigger and you might be surprised with what you come up with.

Also, the ceiling joists of the room below may not be strong enough to function as a floor for the attic.Your local city building department probably has some guidelines about stairway widths, emergency fire egress, required electrical outlets, lighting, etc.

As I diving more deep into emerging markets looking for value add plays with multifamily apartment complexes Im learning a lot about how to spot an emerging market with specific key indicators which is very helpful of knowing when to buy. 

Well, he was more than right,  we purchased a house with a decent comp and to my surprise  we made the same profit margin that we would have made if we did a full gut rehab and saved  months of interest, labor, material and taxes. i guess I learned something new.