They really want my wife and I to find success, which has ended up being a win-win. 

I'd like to preface this with I'm not an expert but, you should be able to find a VIN  and contact the authorities to see if it may have been stolen/missing etc.

I find that Zillow is usually a conservative but pretty close to accurate estimate of what I can rent my units for.

Find a discount realtor that would handle a “done deal” for 1% and just save most of the money?

Find and connect with other BP members that are in your area: https://www.biggerpockets.com/search/usersWishing you the best!

Most of the lots aren't advertised for sale, but you can use the GIS system and other resources to find and contact the owners.

I find that it's very rare that a lender will actually close at this amount of leverage because they would typically be putting up a much larger amount of funds than the property would be worth at the time.Has anybody actually worked with a lender that did fund based off of the LTARV?

The Lead investor is the one finding the property, setting up management, raising money, managing repairs and upgrades, dealing with insurance, making distributions to investors and completing all the tax documents for the investors. 

@Arie GuerraI recommend finding an accountant who is also financial planner and works with real estate investors.

@Kaushik SarkarI recommend finding an accountant specializing in real estate taxation.