And since 1031 is a federal statute that is in general followed by the states any QI with demonstrated experience and a national footprint should be able to help you out. 

We struggle to find building/locations to host trainings for contractors, presentations for architects, etc. where we can demonstrate product uses and show real world conditions.

That said, if you've been with the same company for a while and can demonstrate consistent income, even from temporary roles, some lenders might be willing to work with you.

Perhaps you could buy with cash or a HML, fix up the property, rent it out and then use a private lender to recoup your cash or pay off the HML but if you don’t have a proven track record of success OR a way to demonstrate your ability to repay that’s a pretty tough sell to make.

He already demonstrated that he cannot stay on schedule because he's so busy - and he's busy because he's cheap.

So we periodically "check in" with the neighbors to proactively find out their perspective and to demonstrate that we care about the neighborhood.

Before making the investment, I conducted my due diligence, discovering interesting figures:CAP Rate: 4.144%Asset Value: $213,898.00Profit Per Unit: $184.65Year 1 Cash ROI: 44.33%Year 1 Total ROI: 62.68%Year 1 Total Cash Flow: $8,863.00Expenses: 39.38% Price Per SqFt: $55.34These numbers demonstrate passive income, supplementing my full-time salary and allowing me to save for a future down payment or assist in a real estate venture.

This means that you must build and then rent for at least 12 months (24 months would be more conservative) in order to demonstrate that you had the intent to hold for investment.

If you've been their landlord and can provide a letter to a lender demonstrating that they've paid their rent on time for an extended period, then that can help compensate for a FICO shortfall.

While there is no statutory holding period, the IRS did issue a safe harbor for this conversion practice to demonstrate that intent in 2008-16.