He took the wall out between the kitchen (back of house) and living/dining rooms (front of house) and even had an LVL fabricated to carry the ceiling joists and rafters across the 14'(ish) span.  

I see now that I can make smaller changes than my ignorance fabricated in my mind. 

And have them give you a completed and signed IRS form 4506-T so you can verify that you were given the real numbers and not fabricated numbers. 

News articles, depending on the pub, can be embellishments, complete fabrications or warnings.

I've removed quite a bit of wallpaper in my life with the hot water and fabric softener method and have had it work very well.. 

@John MoorhouseWelder-fabricator/Residential contractor.

I work as a welder metal fabricator 9-5 and my wife is a sales associate.

Because 10 years of ZIRP (zero percent interest rate policy) and a government fabricated loan, is specifically designed to make lending loose, putting people in homes they can't afford without government intervention...precisely what caused the first housing bubble.  2. 

The sink was from Habitat ($75), the wood was leftover from a butcher block counter, fabric from Walmart, shells and mirror courtesy of my MIL and a beach in Mexico.

You're off to a good start with planning the removal of all the fabrics/carpets & padding that contain the tar/smoke.