I am looking to connect with the investors there as the promotors are continuing to take Asset Management fees to the tune of $450K a year (on top of PM fees) even when their payout to the investors is around $20K a quarter (not meeting preferred) and the overall fund is negative about $450K.

If they seem agreeable, then you can ask if they would prefer to cut the cost down the middle or would they prefer to purchase the supplies and you will assume the cost of labor to install it. 

The buyers are FHA-qualified, and I mentioned the option of switching to conventional, but they prefer not to.

I've been reading books and listening to various BP podcasts nonstop for the past couple months, but I'd love to hear thoughts about the right strategy for turning our war chest into a sound real estate portfolio (preferably before I'm too old to enjoy the fruits of our labor!).

You want to be understanding and not "kick them out", but at the same time let them know you operate differently than the previous owner and if they would prefer not to operate that way that's a decision they can make.

Trying to get into the nuts and bolts of how he was trying to source a location, project size of preference, what type of financial modeling he does, what kind of tenants he was hoping to attract/the strategy behind it, if he was doing any joint ventures or had done any in the past, if he had taken part in any syndications, what management strategies he was implementing with his current properties to maximize lease uptime and profit, what types of leases he generally favored contracting for his properties--all of that was like pulling teeth.

I doubt we will buy off the MLS but I am trying to find a good way to visualize MLS data so that I can plan our next purchase and get a "steal" that I will have instant equity or rehab for equity with the goal of getting a decent HELOC going.Because real estate values are so location based, it is hard for me to process the data on a spreadsheet, because I'm constantly trying to project it onto a map in mind.To know if what I'm looking at is a deal, I would like to be able to see $/sq.ft. data visualized on a map with either current listings or preferably sold properties. 

Tenants also prefer private landlords.  

Someone mentioned wanting to be within driving distance of a property, but I actually prefer not to be close.

I would check and see how many 1 bed and 2 bed options there are and what they are priced at because most folks will prefer the full place to themselves so rooming 2 people together could make getting bookings a bit more difficult (not always the case but something to consider)