I’m hoping to find more success in Phoenix, but as you stated, the old fashioned way may be my best bet.

You can look into switching to a local credit union or portfolio lender, as they tend to be more flexible with regional policies.

If you could furnish the rooms, I'd say that is best bet for cash flow.

If I were a betting man the company is folding up and this dutch character is out there doing the guru circuit as only source of $ and idiots will pay for training from someone like this.  

A furnished mid-term rental or month to month lease can be well worth the small incremental monthly cost for this flexibility if you are serious about finding a great live in flip candidate on your timeline, not that of your employer's. 

The equity in my primary and other properties, combined with my income, provides the flexibility to borrow as needed—and I only pay interest on what I actually use.

You can talk to the bank about a loan; however, my bet is they will want some form of contract and scope of work and will only pay him at set milestones.

You could increase the rent by a fixed amount to account for utilities, but a more flexible strategy might be to set a utility cap (e.g., $500/month) included in the rent and require tenants to pay for any overages.

Consider offering concessions the seller might value, like a quick closing or flexible closing date.

While I haven’t invested in NYC specifically, I can share a bit of perspective: For a 3-year timeline, buying can make sense if you’re confident in the market’s appreciation and can find a condo with flexibility for renting it out later.