How Do I *sigh* I have come to the realization that I need to do a complete re-install

Thank you, Kiri. I'll zip a few of them over to you in a little while...
They should show up directly in their respected hoods, right? Do I need to change their file names to match the cx...#'s?

No, when you put them in the lot catalog folder (where they are supposed to go), they should show up in the bin. NOT directly in the hood. And once in the bin, you can move them to any hood you want.

However, if they still need to be cleaned up, I would put them in a temporary hood that you don't mind destroying afterwards. Then clean up, pack, and remove old copies from both the bin and the hood. Then do the clean-up with Sims2Pack Clean Installer as I said earlier, and install the pack again. Again it should show up in the bin, and now you can copy it to any hood where you want to use it.

Thanks BO - These are the properties that I'm SURE are empty/un-owned. I will try again. Yesterday was not my 'best' day

So, to clarify, I put the N005_#### backed-up .package files into my Doc/LotCatalog folder (with the cx### packages)
Load up the game.
And my houses will magically appear in the bin, ready to add to any hood in my new 'clean' game.

Because these are empty - I won't need to clean them up by putting them in a 'dummy' hood first and packaging them. Or, should I, just to be safe?

OK. Trying again...

Yeah, that sounds about right. But didn't you say that the clean/unoccupied ones were packed in Sims2Pack files? If so, then you should not move them into the folder, but open them with Clean Installer and then hit the install button. Because the game will not read Sims2pack files, of course.

And indeed, for safety, I would still do the temporary hood/clean-up thing, if I were you. Just to be on the safe side here. After all, you don't want to have to do all this all over again, do you?

No, not all of them - the ones that are packed I'm not worried about. I'm trying to do these N005#### ones first. Thanks!

Don't mention it, Cat. We're all quite happy to help

I figured something out!!!
To put a lot in the LotCatalog file you do have to rename it - I changed the names to cx_###100, 101, etc and it worked! YAY! I got 6 of my un-owned lots back
...But, then, I went in my old hood to move out sims, debug their houses and package them up.... and while I was looking for Inge's shrub - I crashed
I'll try again tomorrow - I have 45 occupied houses in that hood I need to save. I don't need the bodies, just the buildings.

One of the 6 lots I saved today is Francois Bistro & Cafe - I'm so happy!!!

Oh neat! Cool! (Don't worry about parcelling them up for me then, since you've worked it out)

I was able to save a few more lots today: open lot, set the shrub, use CJ's and Pes's debuggers, exit lot, move out family, enter lot again, use Moo's shrub fixer, exit lot, package lot - rinse, repeat...
I still have a few more lots to do, then I will install them ALL in a dummy 'hood. Clean them up again, and package them again. Oi!
...but then I should be good to go

When I'm done with all this, I'm going to reset the hoods again - so everything is clean and fresh.

Thank you soooo much for all the help you gave me. I see the light at the end of the tunnel, and it is NOT a train! (...this time - LOL)