The owner was motivated due to personal circumstances and wanted to avoid the hassle of listing the property publicly.

And I don't think they're taking applications yet, but you'll likely have to apply in person.

But you don't find the same person you did back when.

Since your an estimator are the materials and labor based on facts (i.e. hard costs a labor units) or a guess.Nothing personal but I wouldn't consider anything you wrote there, if I was buying I'd do my own estimate/SOW. 

The owner was motivated due to personal circumstances and wanted to avoid the hassle of listing the property publicly.To negotiate the deal, I started by understanding the seller’s priorities.

Are you building for pure investment purposes or are you looking to use some of the space for personal/personal business use?

Caution:  Personal credit card financing is a huge risk and good luck finding 0 percent interest today.

The property is insured on your behalf, personally. 

I personally am not investing at the moment. 

Or a personal loan if interest rates aren't cost prohibitive?