No one should be permitted to live for free for unreasonable periods of time - 12 months is wholly unreasonable.

The listing agreement must state the amount or method for determining the commission or fee and whether you will allow the firm to share its commission with agents representing the buyer.Dual AgentYou may even permit the listing firm and its agents to represent you and a buyer at the same time.

You can see active wells and permits all over the state here:https://cogccmap.state.co.us/cogcc_gis_online/

Material costs may be similar, labor is not, nor is the average build time (inspections, permits, terrain is different, sites are more remote and holding costs during the process are different) all contributing to the total cost. :)

Also an Architect …. a good Architect does more than just draw your plans.They will know the zoning requirementsAny neighbor notificationsWho to talk to at the cityHow much fees will beDo all the sucking up to the zoning department and neighbors as requiredDraw detailed plans that show waterproofingWill maximize your usable floor plans to maximize rentDesign an efficient plan saving you costProvide an aesthetic that provides lots of natural light and uses energy efficient systems.Is another set of professional eyes during construction that informs you when the contractor is not following the permit approved plansA lot of other small things that are worth their fee.As far as building a feasible design an Architect can save you lots of money on the design.

It's zoned OR3, so no conditional use permits required for short term rentals or a professional co-working space.  

They currently do random jobs such as flooring, carpentry etc.. if the job requires a permit and a licensed contractor we'd probably have to hire out or at least get them to do the work under someone else's license if that trust is there.

Then we spent another $100k on site improvements, foundation and all permits and utilities.But now we have a home with instant equity, that looks like a house not a trailer, and is registered as a SFR with the county, same as a site built home. 

We are looking to pull permit for a total gut rehab in Chicago area.

Agency loans have very favorable terms that are not feasible for banks to compete with...non-recourse, 30 year amortization, very low rates, assumable, etc...the product has varying terms.A bridge loan would be used for a value add project to provide interest only terms through the value add period and then it converts to a permanent amortizing loan once that term is up and the property is at it's full value with rents raised and property stabilized...cash-out at that point can be feasible, lender permitting, for example if the funds are reinvested.