A lot of the creative financing is paired with bad real estate or a bad purchase price but the buyer is hyper focused on the creative financing terms and that's prioritized over the real estate. 

The older homes there aren't as bad (2k to 3k). 

The city's population growth, strong rental demand, and job opportunities in tech, logistics, and military sectors make it a reliable choice.

Knowing I didn't want to rent it out for at least 2 years, I didn't put my name on the renting list which I now know was a bad move.

For example if you asked him to only paint a wall but the wall does not look good because the drywall itself is bad - that is not his problem because you did not want the drywall fixed.Specify what it is you want done and if complete you will release the payment. if he disagrees then he may sue and then let the court decide. 

I currently use a property manager but they are very bad in tenant placements who do not answer calls or inquiries from Zillow.

It won't tell you which property to buy, but will help you weed out the bad ones.

The power of leverage is one of the main benefits that distinguishes RE from other investment choices, and the refi is where real wealth is made.

Most focus on rate and amount of cash to close but bad loan administration or bad loan administration policies may cause the project to be far more capital intensive if viewed beyond day one of funding.

That's not a bad idea - just strike a business contract.