Duplexing into an attic will be much, much easier than building up but you will still need an architect on your team once you take action!

There’s two actions I would say to do: 1.

., and then once you've found a good trade ask them if they know any others that provide the same quality they do.2. 

What is the best course of action to do this?

Of course, any real action is likely months away.

If there are title issues it may also require quiet title action as well.Best to talk to a title company and pay a few hundred bucks for a title report to make sure property is insurable

I'm a journeyman electrician by trade.

Im starting to apply for jobs in tech (only to have income for a loan) but I’m a little hesitant to start trading my time for money again.

@Zoie Holley - I think in most instances it’s either lack of funds (savings when starting out) or an inability to take effective action after you’ve educated yourself over a period of time.

Given your location, inexperience in construction and the cost of renovations as well as real estate right now (both are way up) selling it AS-IS with no repairs is likely the best course of action.