Aloha @Christopher Jordan  - congrats on selling your business.  

Never a good idea to tell someone who is advising on this forum that they have mis conceptions about goals.. they are trying to help and may have misconstrued your postAnyway your plan is solid and I think you will will get there alone or using a  Joint  Venture investor  for sure

I see this big project and the "buy the block" idea fitting right in with what I imagine for West Philly.

I'm writing this post to see if there is any advise to give me or a mentor that's willing to help me understand if this is an area in business that I can grow in.

A business partner and I are working together to start investing in distressed properties with the goal of eventually flipping and renting apartments.

every person who builds a house or a commercial building has to do so with 25% equity to get it financed with a bank. there is absolutely value in new construction. the hard part becomes making sure your architect knows how to design a building that can make money. but saying you don't know how to is a little silly it's the same idea as existing but ground up you just study the market and look at land more than you do anything else. you can build a house anywhere but you want to do it in better areas. it's either than or higher density's smaller floorplans, etc 

It is an interesting business model.  

I funded one in Feb for 65k and it sold for 115k in 7 days cash out cash in .. split profit with my client he finds them I provide the money its a wonderful business..

Who owns the business?

That's part of why I love the idea of being a relationship-forward investor & landlord.