With hardwood, I will typically opt to just put laminate on top of the hardwood or paint the hardwood grey, black or brown using a glossy oil-based paint and a paint roller.  

My name is Naeem and I am an engineer in the Oil & Gas industry who has decided to follow my dream of becoming a real estate investor.

If you are ripping it out and there are any studs with a bit of mold you can wire brush them down up to 1/16th of an inch (use a drill where you can), spray with clove oil diluted in orange oil (citrosolve), let dry 24 hours and then paint studs with Zinsser BIN primer/sealer or another shellac sealer.

I work offshore in the oil and gas industry,  and I dont want to be offshore for my entire career, so I am looking to start investing in the hopes of working my way onshore and developing alternate income.From perusing on this site, buy and hold for a while, seems to be what Im gravitating towards, mostly because I am gone half the year currently, however, Im looking to learn a bit about everything and see where my interests/knowledge lie, as well as meet new people and maybe make some friends.As for fun interests, they are diverse and laughable at times.

And the nature of real estate and all of its advantages (tax deductions, principal pay down, appreciation, time value of future payments, etc.) in the long run can turn just a good deal into a phenomenal one.The area has seen some awesome appreciation and rents are rising so I'm very glad I did it even at asking.  

I do wonder though, because no one can predict the future (whether or not payments are made, a foreclosure can go through, a property can withstand a natural, or non, disaster) - aren't there assumptions made in every statistical model made for notes (any real estate investment)? 

I found this:§ 5307.01Tenants in common, survivorship tenants, and coparceners, of any estate in lands, tenements, or hereditaments within the state, may be compelled to make or suffer partition thereof as provided in sections 5307.01 to 5307.25 of the Revised Code.The content of the petition is governed by statute:§ 5307.03.A person entitled to partition of an estate may file his petition therefor in the court of common pleas, setting forth the nature of his title, a pertinent description of the lands, tenements, or hereditaments of which partition is demanded, and naming each tenant in common, coparcener, or other person interested therein, as defendant.The Court orders partition:§ 5307.04.If the court of common pleas finds that the plaintiff in an action for partition has a legal right to any part of the estate, it shall order partition of the estate in favor of the plaintiff or all interested parties, appoint one suitable disinterested person to be the commissioner to make the partition, and issue a writ of partition.

I would make offers in area 77406 with natural gas.

I searched my town and other local towns around me and didn't have to go through as many inactives.I also employ natural selection haha!

It's sad but it's human nature - read a few books on human evolution and psychology.