This is an easy answer for me!!!  

What worked for me was focusing on building strategic relationships with top tier people (quality partners) who could complement what I brought to the table—sales, management, and execution.When you are approaching sellers for creative financing, leading with a clear value proposition (and CONFIDENTLY) is key.

I'm not trying to time the market. ..just interested in people's opinions for me it was based on my experince I started in RE in 1975 and the 10 year cycle seemed to hold true right up to the GFC at least on the left coast..

They said this is an older home, and has had some minor renovations but it probably would need some form of work if comparing it to the fully reno homes in that area.

For me just too much work.. as I stated its a specialty niche.. plus putting the deals together can run 100 to 250k in consultant fees up front. 

I don't personally care about checks anymore so that wasn't an important feature for me. 

Responses like this are good for me because I am pretty uneducated on things like specific loans or qualifying requirements.

The answer will form around what work you are doing that requires permits.  

My biggest conundrum now is I want to be my own GC because even when I play with smaller numbers they’re still out of reach for me to be able to attain this goal and afford the monthly mortgage with taxes and insurance.

To off-set the depreciation recapture, it would seem reasonable for me to request a concession (e.g., more shares) that's outlined in the Operating Agreement.