We've sold 65+ homes and the biggest request we get from our Buyers is help with closing costs.Most of our deals we're providing anywhere between $5K-$10K to help Buyers offset the cash requirement to purchase a home.Even in today’s "high" interest rate environment, many Buyers prioritize closing cost assistance over an interest rate buydown.

Since your lender requires prior experience building and selling/refinancing a single-family residence (SFR) on your own property, you may need to adjust your approach.

However, when seeking a non-recourse lender, I suggest starting by reaching out to lenders who specialize in working with self-directed IRAs, as they’re more likely to understand the requirements.

Can they get pre-approved for a conventional loan and then switch to FHA once the 91-day requirement is met?

All the leads I've found so far have balked at either the "investment property" requirement, the "in California" requirement (or both!)

@Eric Smith A 1031 exchange with a related party is possible but comes with strict IRS scrutiny and holding period requirements.

Its great that the seller is will to carry a note in a seller 2nd as well, that will help reduce your require monthly payment with the right lenders.

@Joshua Tucker Building real estate on tribal land offers unique tax benefits, but it requires careful planning and collaboration with tribal authorities.

Pretty,  as others have stated here, the permitting process through the City of Cape Coral has been hindered by their ability to scale up their staff to handle the massive demands for all permitting including new construction but also anything else that requires a permit, home improvements, sea walls, alternative sea walls, pools and more.From your post, I can see that you are frustrated, and I believe some of that is due to not understanding the steps and processes of new construction, including what must be done prior to submitting permits.

While this is a great and highly motivating goal, most people are either clueless or incorrect in their belief as to what is required to obtain this “lifestyle”.Understanding of the “how to” get there is further obscured by the misleading, and often patently false “pathways” sold by real estate educational MARKETING companies as workshops, upsold to association memberships, upsold to mentorships.