I am here to create a business strategy that protects personal and business investments and mitigates risk,  procure a coach or mentor, and set up tax strategies to create long-term wealth for myself and my family. 

I typically don't comment on other's businesses unless I know from personal experience.

Personally, I would hang on to the cash.  

It also gives you multiple work surfaces so you can have more than one person in the kitchen without getting in each others' way.

Did you give her written permission to store personal items outside in a common area?

I’m not a former IRS person.

I personally do not have experience managing rentals.

If an in-person visit is not feasible, we can easily arrange video tours to accommodate your schedule.

And what if the one person you didn't check has a criminal background, has collections, and more?

With comps ranging from $875K-$1M and your estimated build cost at $550K, the after-completion value gives you a significant equity cushion, making this project highly attractive to lenders.If you plan to hold and rent the property, you could refinance into a DSCR loan after construction, which bases lending on rental income rather than personal income.