Honestly most of our clients prefer that since they feel that it's no ones business but their's whether they're doing a 1031 or not.Now that 1031s have become so popular most standard board contracts actually have language specifying cooperation with a seller (or buyer) if they are doing a 1031 exchange.

Welcome to the boards.  :-)

•Evaluate better paint (lasts better, longer); colors (hard to notice dirt, smudges, but stylish); sheen (something that cleans easily but looks good)•Negotiate bulk discounts on replacement of major items & coordinate•Evaluate more durable items vs cost across the board•Consider day labor for easier job- Consider selling if people are overpaying for old systems?

As for a lease I can provide you our Realtor Board lease that is pretty standard and may be the easiest route to take.  

My original thought for a scenario like this would be to flip - clear up the property and sell it at a profit (in 1 to 10 years as you mention, while paying holding costs)One other idea I had was to try and rent the space out to one or more of the several auto repair shops that are in an area that relies on street parking.I know these cannot be the ONLY avenues to making a profit in this scenario (just like in the world of 'buildings') so I was hoping I could get more ideas/suggestions from some of the many savvy and creative investors on the board here. 

I've done projects where they wanted a full scope of work and a list of all contractors submitted for board approval before I could start. 

He contacts the owner of another dilapidated property (a boarded up hotel) and ties that up with an option; negotiates tax credits from the City if he fixes it up; then raises private money (not his) to buy it and renovate it.  

As CEO for Nest Egg Assets LLC, I have raised money for over $5M of various real estate finance and development projects in the last 3 years.In my spare time, I am Vice President of the board of Gemini Cricket of Silicon Valley, a non-profit organization, focused on bettering the lives of parents of multiples.

I'll be at this week's NYC meetup, so look forward to connecting with other real estate investors or potential investors in the area there or thought these boards!

He's finally now on board and excited learning and researching with me.