But, in general, what is an appropriate response time, and are there any red flags here? 

@Don Owens My 9-5 job revolves around Indiana water regulation and well installation.

Depository institutions are highly regulated in the risk they bear because they lend out their depositors' money.

Every rental housing unit shall contain at least one bedroom or living/sleeping room of appropriate size for each two (2) persons.

I'm not against innovation but every point you raise is pre-existing or illegal/ against regulations. 

Understand the basics of private lendingResearch real estate marketsDetermine your investment strategy and criteria for loans, including:- Amounts- Interest rates- Repayment termsCreate legal documents with a lawyerNetwork with real estate professionalsPerform due diligence on potential borrowers and their projectsBegin with smaller loans to gain experienceMonitor your investments closelyConsider joining a private lending group for additional resourcesStay informed about real estate trends, lending practices, and legal regulations

I think you are best served to get the best advice and that is what will make your business work much better than the ones who don't care about the regulations.

Those enormous tenant buyout amounts were feasible before the 2019 rent regulation act. 

These carriers are not profitable in CA and CA laws and regulations do not make it easy to mitigate these financial struggles. 

I'd love to utilize their expertise when assessing a property since they are local but I'm not sure what the general expectation is when I don't have a tangible property and I have not entered into contract to work with them yet.Some questions I have are: local regulations/permitting timeline, property's potential from their perspective, landscaping/amenities cost estimate (they also help facilitate this).