re: Yard needs desperate help. St Aug is dead... really dead, not dormant.

Bermuda requires less water than St Aug and is drought tolerant. Bermuda can be as easy or as hard as you want to make it. It really doesn't die so you don't have to do anything to it. That being said neighbors aren't going to stop by and ask what you are doing for your lawn if thats your thing. It does love fert and frequent mowing. That will improve color and density of the lawn.

You can round up and rake off all the dead or you can rent a sod cutter. I haven't bought sod from Miller yet this year but I'd guess that a pallet will be between $260-280. It would cover 550 feet.

You can go the seed route with bermuda but as mentioned it will take prep work or it won't work.