If you get 3 bids and for easy numbers sake lets' say you get $3k, $4k, and $5k as the bids, but choose to go with the lowest bid and then tell him you want to buy the materials to save the money yet that's where he's cutting his costs to obtain your business you're still kind of cutting off your own hand despite your face right?

Having said that, there is no problem having SMART compassion and taking safety measures (15 months rent in an escrow account). 

Hey John,Sounds like the answer would be to utilize a DSCR lender that utilizes either pre-established STR rental income (if you can prove with AirBNB/VRBO statements) or a few that are still UW with AirDNA or a similar STR income projection program.I am aware of a few still doing it at this time, and if you can show that you know what you are doing you shouldn't see much of a cut in LTV if at all.Happy to connect and see if we can help.Good luck!

If I decide to cut ties, do I lose these listings?  

After 18 months I still didn't have a building permit and decided to cut ties with the builder and forfeit my deposit. 

A lot of other markets 20 years from now could be ghost towns with little demand.But on the flipside, that safety/security comes with lessor immediate returns, as is a normal balance with investments (more risk traditionally equals more short term gain potential). 

This is a garden home and the yard is fenced in with a 10 foot privacy board in board fence The neighbor stated it was making her violently ill and that it is a health hazard for her as it was coming in through her vents and or windowsshe has also been known to harass my last tenant, and sending us text that trees are too close to her home telling us that we need to cut it because there were branches over her skylight and she claims that it was scratching the cover. she called the city when the last tenant had to sell all of her items at an estate sale due to loosing her job and having to move from the property and cited that she was in violation of city ordinances due to not informing the county of an estate sale.

We recently had a flip where the membrane over the garage was leaking on the north edge, water migrated back about 15' before finding an opening in the decking and dropping through to an interior hallway.

Double edged sword 

Not sure if it's worth finishing or cutting your loses and selling.