You would need to not only enlist the help of a Qualified Intermediary but also set up an arrangement with an Exchange Accommodation Titleholder (EAT) and they will hold title to your new property while construction is completed.

Have any of you heard of or use any websites that act as an intermediary between wholesalers and sellers in an effort to locate, match, and close deals?

So therefore based on your description, unfortunately no the property would not meet the requirements for a 1031 exchange.Contact a qualified intermediary and they can explain in great detail what and how to facilitate 1031 exchanges. 

Agent: " Heard from listing agent (Also the property owner) and their not going to sign it until they take it to a real estate attorney because they have never heard of verbiage like that either like we had told you up front on that""So I hope that it does not end up in court that we were trying to be a lawyer""But umm I'm supposed to be on the conference call Monday, but nobody here has ever heard of doing that" "The bad news is that they are not taking it off of the market and there is a possibility of showing it this weekend" "Now if that verbiage went away they would probably sign it tonight" But with that verbiage in there they are not going to sign it until they talk to a lawyer" "So whatever you guys decide to do" Going forward I will never go into an intermediary transaction again as this entire experience has been one headache after another. 

I asked my qualified intermediary for ideas, but they didn't mention this.  

You can have a base LLC, that can act as an intermediary for the purchases until they are finalized, as long as the final investment (and title) is vested in the LLC formed for that purpose at closing. 3.

Can we get the replacement property under contract first or do we need to go to an qualified intermediary first?

Do your homework and make sure you get a reputable Qualified Intermediary on your team pronto if you want to go the 1031 route.Best of luck!

I'd loop in an intermediary before proceeding, but am trying to pull a strategy together first.

Find a good Qualified Intermediary.