I've heard alot of the cautionary tales that too many newbies jump into wholesaling because it seems easy and they end up washing out. 

These are the house stats: ¼ Acre LotCity Water and SewerFull Basement1500 Square FeetOpen concept living roomFinished will have 2 full baths, 3 bedroomsFinished bonus room in basement Was used as a bedroom but doesn’t have the proper egressFenced in backyardCan lighting in all bedrooms, living room, and kitchenNo garage, paved driveway fits 4 medium sized carsSquare Footage:Basement: 938 sfIst Floor: 844 sf2nd Floor: 533 sfFinalizing the Flip would require: Mounting and finishing drywall on first and second floorFinishing the partially roughed in bathroom on first floor Water supplies are ready just under the floorboardsSewer outlet is just under bathroom, PVC drains need to be roughed inElectrical wire is run from the panel to bathroom fan, lighting, and outletBathroom fan/light is installed, needs duct added to vent outsideNeeds greenboard drywall, flooring, toilet, vanity, shower/tub surround4 doors for first floor bathrooms and three bedrooms4 closet doors, 1 for first floor coat closet, and 3 for bedroom closetsFirst floor bedroom Subfloor replacement in first floor bedroom (some original floor boards are weak)Connection of electrical outlets - conduit roughed in but needs to be connected to panelDrywall mounted, finished, and painted throughoutFlooring throughout except for kitchen, I suggest tile in front entryway into first floor bathroom, laminate in open concept living room up to the kitchen, carpet the rest.Minor drywall patching and painting in Kitchen and basement bathroomTrim/baseboards installed and painted around all doors, bottom of drywall, and windowsProper railing for both stairwaysPower wash sidingMinor landscaping, just needs some mulch in beds and some minor weeding in flower beds.Two fence panels replaced in back yardBasement bathroom needs minor touch-ups on grout and caulking Other issues that may need addressing or could just be disclosed upon sale: Two minor basement leaks only when there is a TON of rain, otherwise basement is dryWarped siding in backyard where grill used to be, could be replacedSmall area of cracked siding on front of house at end of drivewayDriveway isn’t in the best condition, some patching may make it look betterAll work done on house has not been permitted except for siding and roofPlumbing Ventilation isn’t 100% to code and may come up in an inspection Side notes: When I lived there, people didn’t believe my address was real when getting deliveries because of the marijuana culture around the number 420 and the street name of Highmoor, maybe there is play here selling to someone that is into that stuff?

But here is a list of other items I came up with in my head that may or may not be possible to write off:Lawn care and similar (such as power-washing services)Home owners insuranceProperty management fees (tenant placement and monthly)PMI (don't have it but curious)Home warranty (and claim fees)Electric and water (while it was vacant)Are there any other possibilities? 

In other words, they can't "launder" their title by washing it through a foreclosure and then redeeming and paying only the auction price.If the bank still owned the property, and there was a balance due on the note for after the foreclosure, the redeeming party would redeem from the bank and have to pay the full balance on the note, not just the auction bid price. 

The construction loan *might* be done on ARV and you *might* need only 25% there, which while it's less percentage-wise, it's more money at $25k.In Scott's example, the numbers seem to be a wash because your ratio of cost in land to build is only 35% (at 35k).

Its a wash. 

Here's a tip @Asury Johnson, when nobody is immediately checking in to a STR after a cleaning we make the beds with the damp linens right out of the washing machine.

Being a general contractor and an experienced investor I see stuff from multiple angles and the key component of what you said was he is selling this property in the winter and that's exactly for a reason I've seen this happen many many times.

If her home is close to the retirement home, perhaps people could stop by the vacant house on their way to visit grandma or stay there if they live out of town and are visiting grandma.I'd also disconnect the washing machine.

They always gave preference to cosmetic issues like landscaping and power washing instead of issues that are hazardous and code violations.