None wanted to give me at least an estimate without architectural drawings, which I guess is understandable.

Lease or no lease, you need to follow the timelines that NYS set out from my understanding.

It's difficult to understand your question.

But also understanding that I will be asked questions that I don't know, and I need understand that it is okay not to know everything in these situations.

If anyone is willing to share their experiences, advice, or point me towards resources that could help in understanding the market better, I would be immensely grateful.

Did you speak with them prior to purchase to understand their process?

You have to be honest with yourself, understand the risks and assess if you can afford the negative cash flow.

I'm hoping this forum can help me understand what my alternatives are.

You don't understand what I'm saying regarding Market Analysis, which is understandable since it would be hard to explain in this limited format. 

I’m new to private money lending, so while I understand the concepts in principle, I’m still figuring out how to identify and connect with these investors in practice.To clarify, I’m targeting 6+ unit multifamily properties, and private money is a way to scale my expertise from smaller properties into larger ones.