Write as yourself, not a company, and tell them you are trying to buy your first property in your own backyard and would love to have a conversation whether they want to sell or not (they probably know someone else).

Their income comes from buying, selling, and holding real estate over the long term. 

At the same time, I want to complete the project quickly to sell the property and move forward.

It's not going well so now two of them will sell it to the 3rd.

You may pay 1.5m and up for a good one, likely more if parking and balconies, but the play is to buy a multi and then wait and in a few years, turn them into condos and sell them separately - that's how you make the money there.

If they are going to refund even security deposit no questions asked and unbeknownst to you, why even offer that as a feature / service as part of digital collections to landlords?

Besides we're hospitality people, not selling property or leasing it long term, and somewhere along the line a few states got their definitions very very mixed up!     

Hold it for few years and then sell it or built a second/vacation home. which area would you recommend and why?

I buy and sell and also buy and hold in Pittsburgh and this is about the average.

Would like to sell and capture gained equity, also cash flow is not great and the house needs more work.