It took over 18 months to recover but determination to make sure all my investors were paid in full was a priority.Needless to say, even experienced investors can take losses and those claiming they have never lost money have not done enough deals, have not been in the business long enough or are liars.Congrats to you and your accomplishment.

However,  there are many experienced investors who have shown over time the 50% number is pretty close.  

I say this because the Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (RLTO) is a bit tricky to navigate for first time landlords and experienced landlords as well.

I will need to pay off the existing mortgage ($451k) with a construction loan; at most I can put in $180k toward the build but not sure if that is wise to put so much of my own money in.So far my best option seems to be to partner up with an experienced developer/builder who can put down cash towards the construction downpayment *and* qualify for a bank construction loan.

Hi All, I need a capable, reputable and experienced commercial finance expert's assistance.

You might have better luck with asking an experienced agent to mentor you or external learning environments such as meetups, classes and even YouTube.

I currently am a full time Civil Engineer, and wanted advice on cities to move to where I could get the best bang for my buck as far as real estate, as well as live in a desirable city for someone in their early 30's. 

A home inspector  is too low on food chain , they wouldnt be recognized by the building inspectors You would need a engineer to inspect and certify what was done .  

It is no one's fault but the experienced rehabber realizes this is likely and has addition funds set aside (and additional margin) for the associated additional effort.In summary there is no argument for thinking the realtor's rehab estimate is likely to be more accurate than the contractor's estimate. 

Can anyone recommend a structural engineer to walk the property and give me an idea of scope of work that needs to be done?