The checklist here acts as a roadmap, ensuring that nothing is overlooked.Knowing when your due diligence should be completed or when to close or extend your contract is of utmost importance.

I completely agree that having a reliable local team is key.

It is an old house but has been completely gutted and rennovated in a Midwest state with a flatline population growth.

A As I recall John our contract was fully completed with you.

Many hard money lenders will offer the best terms once you get 5 "completions" or "exits" from hard money loans (sell the property or refinance out). 

My recommendation would be to get approved as a Landlord, contact the director's office and request that an inspection be completed before a tenant is selected (sometimes they will do this as long as you select a tenant within 14 days - which you want anyways), and have an online application and screening resource in place.  

If you are worried about out of pocket costs, see if maybe a rehab loan is an option to get everything needed done now and refinance in 3 months when everything is complete.

When someone claims to have completed “1000s” of deals successfully, we’d need to see purchase and sale docs on each one to verify their track record.  

After putting about $50k into the property,  I’m just about $25k from meeting my completion goal that includes stucco, drywall, and siding.

Quote from @Anthony Miller: Thank you @Wale Lawal, this is in complete alignment with my thinking!