Proof of concept seems to be a key part of your strategy starting off.   

Hi Kwanza,Bay Tek (650-204-1512) would be a great starting point, but I’d also recommend reaching out to Adler Builders (650-398-9030) and Mission Home Remodeling (415-855-7269) for comparable bids.In San Francisco, you’ll need a licensed General Contractor (GC) to pull the necessary permits.

Getting started was the most challenging part of real estate investing for me and it seems like you made it look easy.What neighborhood is the property in?

Like Samuel says, Move into the fixer and start making money with the good unit, now.  

I am about to start a full rehab on a 5 unit brownstone in Bed-Stuy...

Everyone's favorite answer in real estate---"it depends".That being said, you have to start somewhere to figure that out.

Happy to chat more if it would help. 

For example, at the start, do you confirm if all persons in the house are aware of your presence, and do you ask if it is OK for you to open bedroom, bathroom and closet doors?

The process from start to finish would take four months and cost ~200k to build, with comps in the area around 355k-lender man said, refinancing would take six months as most lenders wont refinance a property unless its been built for six months, affecting the strategy to get paid out from refinancing quicker and closing out on construction loan-The property would not appraise at comps value, but at the cost it took to build, affecting getting paid out from the refinance.

I feel the investor is off to a great start.