As for the initial post, I would ask a few questions to shed some guiding light.

Should I stick with my partners for the initial flips or go the hard money route?

I did a coaching session with Rod Khleif and I really enjoyed his enthusiasm.

Just like in Southern Italy, where houses are sold for as little as one euro, similar initiatives exist in Spain to attract people to repopulate villages and revitalize these areas." the one part I'd disagree with is "many".So why was I shocked then?

I signed the contract mentioned above, that initially said no closing points to lendbase when we find a loan.  

Many of the recipients are single mothers who actually want to find stable housing for themselves and their children so initially they are looking for the best house they can find and it is only when time is running out and their voucher is expiring (Yes that is a thing) that they begin lowering their standards and will settle for a cheaply put together home. 

Having a vision for future projects like the ones you mentioned are great, but learning the ABCs of RE with a small investment (initial down payment - since you only need 3.5%-5% down on a primary) is the best way to sharpen your skills.

Initially, I was told it would take 60 days.

You can use a SQ FT format to guess rehab but that is only good to initially look at a deal.

To fully illustrate this, there was a poster who was looking for 100% financing for construction in Philly but also wanted the lender to advance costs for the initial phases of construction.