Talking with one of their reps today, but wanted to also crowd source some info here : ) Thanks!

This will allow you to qualify solely based on the income that is produced from the rent of the property.

Explore off-market deals where competition might be less intense.Don’t get discouraged—success in these markets often comes from building strong connections and thinking creatively about deal sourcing!

In general, what sources and heuristics do you use to determine if an area can support new construction in general, and in specific in GNO?

Happy to be another source of properties for you and hopefully help you take your portfolio to the next level!

However, seeing as though I have already sourced the deal myself, would it still be in my best interest to use a realtor for this transaction if it works out? 

Right now, I’m in the process of sourcing land for our first project.Happy to connect and share insights.Wishing you a great holiday as well!

Yes you can use commission as sourced funds for down payment on a conventional loan.However some lenders have internal overlays that don't allow it.

@Ike Okwerekwu Recommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.

A PMC is great to use not only for all these items but also really being a trusted source for vendors too etc.