It sounds like the Title Co. was not aware that the tenant prepaid rent and just prorated the current rent for the month of closing, so agree if they had no knowledge of it, would not have ever gone on the settlement statement as a credit to the buyer and they likely will not do anything post closing to help obtain those funds. 

Obtain the necessary insurance as well to guard against any hazards or damages that may arise throughout the renovation process.6.

Now I question if I will be able to obtain fire insurance.  

Many real estate investors opt for a fix-and-flip loan because they’re relatively easy to obtain: no personal income verification (no DTI requirements), and you can often borrow up to 90% of the purchase price and 100% of the rehab costs.

This is not a bargain or a true avenue to obtain off market listings.

Sounds like it is best to either use the HELOC or obtain a conventional mortgage rather than using a HELOC and then a cash out refi.  

There will also be many homeowners who have had the properties in the family through generations and own free and clear but now still need to obtain a construction loan to rebuild. 

Make sure any renovations comply with local regulations and obtain the necessary permits if plumbing changes are involved.

Yes I definitely need to obtain a network of brokers locally here in the commercial/multi space.

While they were good about obtaining a refund, etc., it still took time (and all communication is via chat or email, for me, chat was easier).