Chances are that an engineer would be the most time efficient way of getting the info.

As a licensed contractor and real estate agent, I can review your estimates, ask the questions you might not know to ask, and help you make an informed decision that balances cost with quality.

However, I still struggle to understand the art of estimating rehab costs. 

If in the rare chance they do allow short term rentals in the HOA rules/regulations and association documents, don't be surprised if they change that ruling after you buy. 

Hi Eric,Great question—estimating operating expenses can definitely be tricky, especially for items like maintenance, CapEx, and make-ready costs that vary widely between properties.

I then created an excel sheet with those estimates to know (a) what to offer for land to make my numbers and (b) to hold the sub to what they estimated for me.  

At the current cost to build estimate $150/sqft, It appears a 1500-1700 sqft new construction will need to sale for around 399,9k to make a decent profit.

you just have to estimate them based on what the property needs.so if it needs a new furnace + a bathroom gut and remodel + new windows, you estimate that.  

I’ll share those here when I get a chance.  

Chances are you have someone with honor transparency and integrity on your hands and that is very rare.If the answer is no... well, if he lied to the homeowner, why would you think he would not lie to you?