If you were thinking about putting on a vinyl product, I would leave what you have and paint.

See http://cadetheat.com/products/wall-heaters/energy-plus

In my town the cops couldn't be bothered to take action when someone pulled a gun on my friend, but even given that they are more productive than our fire department.

@Michael Gammage - I'm unfamiliar with the product, however since you're looking for a deal analysis tool, you may want to try ours out here on BP.http://www.biggerpockets.com/real-estate-investment-calculator

Not to argue your point Brandon but asking upon that line, if your a PM and your managing a property in need of 2k and the client will only provide $500 wouldn't you as a PM be best served to let go of and decline to represent those clients rather then becoming known as the PM with slum properties?

What products/methods have people used to help "soak up" dampness and moisture in a basement?

I can guarantee you that you and J Scott or Will Barnard could complete the exact same flip - same labor, same finishes, same product, same everything - and they can get that done a heck of a lot cheaper than you can. 

That being said, some common themes we see are lots of dark stained hardwoods (people are starting to ask for wider planks), wood stained front doors, ceramic tile or natural stones ( we don't do any laminate or vinyl products), painted cabinets (generally a white or gray), combined with an accent piece (could be an island or wet bar area) of a different color. 

LOC is for $625,000.We only secured loans in the range ($50,000 - $150,000) due to the business model we are following (although they haven't declined bigger loans amounts).

Home Depot sells a "Tub and Tile Refinishing Kit" for $26 that will address this issueThere's also different tub epoxy products on ebay you can try that can be used for repairing larger cracks