In general, self-help is not allowed and you may find it hard to find a contractor who will be willing to work under the allotted draws as work is completed. 

We also have timeframes for the Seller’s disclosures with time given to the Buyer for their review.If the Buyer isn’t comfortable with the inspections and disclosures, they can request additional time to investigate the situation.If the Buyer finds that the repairs are excessive or information in the disclosures are unacceptable, they can cancel the agreement within the allotted time specified in the contract and receive a refund on their escrow deposit minus any escrow or title fees incurred.I would recommend that an experienced Real Estate Attorney review your purchase contract and hopefully help you cancel this deal and get your deposit back.* Note * In California, the Buyer’s review time is extended if additional disclosures are provided by the Sellers beyond the allotted time in the contract. 

I'm assuming  any rehab and refinance will take longer than the 6 mo loan term allotted by the hard money lenders because there is typically a seasoning period of at least 6 mo. 

And yes you are correct technology has made that allot easier regardless whether you are 5 minutes a way or 5 hours.

I hear and read allot about that being one way to get money but nothing specific about being a private money lender. 

VA loan is no longer an option because the first two houses soaked up that allotment, so I'll be looking at conventional or FHA from here.

Then you may have a bunch of expenses at the same time that far exceeds your allotted percentage. 

If a property owner decides to redeem their tax bill they will pay you back plus interest within the allotted time.  

When renovating with a 203K loan, are contractors obligated to get the allotted amount for line items?

Can usually allot 5-10% vacancy factor and same for maintenance.9) Class B usually also okay, but needs more attention from owner and/or PMC.