However, if any of this snow actually builds up on the sidewalks, I'll be shoveling snow at some of my apartment buildings this evening or tomorrow morning.

Asking for reasonable accommodation with a simple 1 sentence mailed letter essentially turns the table on the city in the federal sense, where now instead of you proving to the city that what you are doing "follows the code" now the city must PROVE that THEY are being "reasonable" in handling your particular situation (in law they call this a "fact issue," and is particular to each case, as opposed to city code, that is "general in scope," and so "fact issues" must be decided by a jury) and that their permitting process is "reasonable" for you to work your way out of the situation  (for instance, the permit fees alone for building a house in places like the Bay Area can easily top $50k, and that's before turning a single shovel of dirt. 

you only want to be in your lot shovel ready at 75 to 80  for 350 to 370 exit in our markets.build cost you can get to 100 a foot or so... also better to do a 2200 sq two story box that builds cheap.

Go mow lawns, shovel snow, etc. and put every nickel into the IRA.

I also hear Orlando and Jacksonville (Fl) are growth markets as well, but again, please do your research and thorough due diligence before making any purchases. 

If possible, I schedule showings several at a time, or schedule them when I know I'll be at the property doing some kind of maintenance or check (Or shoveling snow like every other day this month!). 

I can remember praying for snow because I could get a snow shovel and walk around town and shovel snow and make $15 to $30 a day extra for a day or 2. 

I sold the L88 (saw one on Ebay at around 500k recently) and bought a '66 coup that already was stripped and had a cage and fender flares.

There were a LOT of issues during the 4 months they were there (parking, dogs barking, fighting until neighbors called the cops, shoveling dog poop from the garage into the walkway - caught on video and denying it - and never paying rent on time) but when they moved out, they left the garage full of dog poop, there were BB gun holes in one of the walls, dog pee and poop all over the inside and a bunch of stuff left over.

If the site is not zoned (at all or as lots), you have land that needs work that can include, annexation, zoning and preliminary and final plat approvals to meet the permitting authorities definition of lots and shovel ready.In any event (whether or not you own or hold the right to purchase the property), the only way to answer your question about the best choice for your partnership on an informed basis is to run pro forma analysis on your alternatives.