The house was in great condition on the exterior, great mechanicals, and recently finished basement I could live in while I did the rest of the renovating.

That number also include new mechanicals. 

@Khelifa Ahmed, some of the prices make sense, some don't, my gcs are not the cheapest, not the most expensive, but the work gets done right. a typical TH with new mechanicals for a rental will run 40-50K, for a flip about 20% more.

Roof, Mechanicals, and Flooring (60% of my full renovation budget)That way you can mortgage these items rather than pay cash in the near future.  

Contrary to most of the BP community, stocks are great IF you don’t want leverage and you actually know what you’re doing.Since you majored in engineering physics, I’d highly recommend seeing if your employer would pay for a part-time online masters degree in your choice of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or computer science.

So I am buying a townhouse in Baltimore city today that has a code violation notice and order regarding one room in particular (replace window sash, replace carpet and install missing switch plate) and repair/replace the mechanical system.

Cities have additional funding mechanisms in the form of tax credits or reductions to encourage redevelopment to eliminate blight.Most of these funding mechanisms come in the form of tax incentives, which complicates things if you want to use the money as part of your capital stack.

Unless you're using the payment as a screening mechanism.

I have a mechanical engineering degree and currently have a well paying job.

Emphasis on "may".