I’ve received multiple quotes from insurance companies (mainly I would obtain the quotes myself).

The end goal is to have a piece of land with multiple houses: one for my growing family but also a home for my mother in law.My mother in law has agreed to foot the money on a new property/land up front and when ready we can buy land from her to build/develop etc. 

It's best to reach out to multiple lenders to explore your options.

Since you're investing from a distance, I recommend interviewing multiple agents, lenders, property managers, contractors, and other professionals to build a strong and reliable team.

However, transferring a mortgaged property to an LLC could trigger a due-on-sale clause, so consult your lender before doing so.While an LLC does not save taxes, it can make audits more straightforward and help present your rental as a business and you can combine all the hours from multiple STRS into one to meet the MP requirements.

I even offered to let the seller out of the deal, multiple times, but he wanted to press on and just get it done.

It’s a lot to keep track of, especially when researching multiple markets.Would greatly appreciate any advice/insights from experienced investors who've navigated these challenges :- How do you approach understanding and evaluating short-term rental regulations when considering a new market?

Perhaps your #6 of repurposing commercial in to multiple small residential units is the best idea I can see in SA as it has had way too many Single Family rental homes added the last few years. 

This is a complicated situation with multiple layers to consider, so here’s my take based on your questions:If you’re looking to move assets from the partnership into individual LP (Limited Partner) names while avoiding capital gains, you’ll need a strategy that complies with tax regulations.

I say it is the first deal because it was brought to me by the owner before placing any other deals under contract (which I have done in multiple states) legally, and ethically.