Land Ed is one phase of ground-up development.

What is the experience of the group at performing this sort of development?  

Duplex Development Made Easy - SB 9 permits property owners to convert single-family lots into duplexes.

You can then give out codes for self-showings, AFTER a prospect meets your basic screening requirements.

Since I am having my prospective tenants cover the cost I would prefer to have the lowest cost option that gives you the most bang for your buck, but at the same time I want to be sure that what I am paying for is reliable.

Where I differ with most of the posters on this thread is that I feel solutions can be developed to address the problems and something similar to what the OP suggests would be viable. 

I primarily work as a part-time CFO for new (and "old") real estate developers and investors, primarily helping them financial analyze their deals and finding them the best rates and terms for financing.

I’m also glad the FCC is cracking down on robocalls for lead generation; it forces people to commit to real prospecting instead of cutting corners.Over the years, I’ve run a solid brokerage team, training agents and now I help people get into wholesaling.

Despite having photos available, many prospective tenants still prefer to see the unit in person to get a better sense of where they'll be staying. 

Real estate wealth is built through long term price appreciation, property becomes (usually) more valuable over time, especially if purchased in areas that have either gone through development or redevelopment.