Here's an article that you may find helpful.

Narrowing down the options will probably come down to comps and city/neighborhood specifics; things like permits.Any good suggestions for finding out how long permits are taking in certain areas?

There’s so much to learn here, and I’m sure you’ll find it incredibly helpful.

These days the hardest part for me is finding & keeping qualified contractors for the work that always needs to be done.

This leaves here with almost $500k in capital gains to pay tax on.I'm trying to find creative ways in which she can minimize this tax burden. 

If you can find that, I would recommend a rehab loan to help accommodate the repair costs and do a modified 'BRRRR', or just sell it when you are done.Is this your first investment? 

If you find you are unable to raise the money for an all-cash purchase, switching gears to Fannie will only work if you have a LONG time to close in your PSA or have many extension options (which usually require more hard earnest money.)

Does anyone have any advice on the best way to find these lenders?

I am coming at this with scientific method trying to find this answer and I can't.     

How did you find this deal and how did you negotiate it?