Set clear and consistent application requirements so you can base your decisions on solid facts.

Your job is to keep tightening it up (geographically and based on asset type) and meeting investors until you have a buy box that makes sense for you.There is also no point to running deals through a calculator if you are seeing them.

They will look at the ENTIRE cost of the project and calculate what they can offer you in loan amount.

I will also have my agent there with me to offer comps to aid in their appraisal if they are receptive to it. 

Some rehab loans offer 90% of the purchase price and 100% of the rehab costs.

My wife and I have obtained three traditional loans and one lease with the option to purchase, resulting in most banks turning us down based on debt to income (non-portfolio lenders). 

The only real advantage to using an FHA loan is to offer only 3.5% down payment, which in my opinion is barely justified as an advantage. 

The key is to offer something different to the other homes, and be an attentive host, to get good reviews to boost OTA (Airbnb/vrbo) rankings. 

It sounds like the reverse mortgage company is offering a path for you to buy it - which is more than they have to do.  

I normally pick and choose the events I go to based on what will be discussed.