.- if the garage inspection card has legitimate progress approvals, I would argue with someone other than this manager, and I would find someone eventually above them or at their level, to objectively intervene.

In order to qualify for it you need to have a legitimate business or self-employment activity that generates earned income.

This can be something fairly minimal, so long is it produces legitimate income that you report on your taxes, such as with a schedule C.  

I'm sorry you got sucked into that thinking it was a legitimate real estate course, you'd be better off forgetting the old rent/lease to own concept as now you have Dodd Frank to contend with, that's federal law.The only way you can hold on to a property is by not selling it, so are you saying your tenants can't buy?

I'd like to add that if you are concerned about getting sued in Ohio and you have a legitimate claim against the tenant, then go ahead and sue them first and file the suit in Texas.  

In addition, those terms seems too good to be true for a legitimate HML.We have funded many deals in NJ and we are local, I'm sure we can fund your deal if you want to work with someone local.

In order to set one up you need to be a small business owner or have legitimate self-employment activity. 

I have no real choice but to contact an international investor, which I have and seems legitimate.

Make Sure to go to a hard money lender and get pre-approved for transactional funding, this will make you a legitimate investor, they will collect a fee of the deal, the hard money lenders will help you move the deal if you put one on contract and you will have their full support (They want to Lend on those properties as bad as you want to make an assignment fee). 

If your area doesn't license contractors I assume any legitimate company with the proper insurance to pull permits would be acceptable.