@Kyle Fitch  often missing out on a condo is the best thing that can happen to you depending on your market and the project itself. 

What is the best way to get proof of deposited payments?

Hi everyone,I started a new construction project in Cape Coral nearly 3 years ago and after very little progress and a few escalations, I've fired the builder.

Very best -Steve

If you have a large amount of properties, probably best to have a contractor do it for you.

Financing Options: What financing strategies have worked best for you?

Find former owner, buy their rights for very little money (often only $100 to $200) and redeem.

Wholesalers are putting property under contract with no intention of buying, so they are technically signing contracts on behalf of others.I believe wholesaling should be outlawed in every state for this very reason. 

The other "economical" areas are going to be more management heavy (think cheaper houses that are expensive in the long run) and the A/A+ neighborhoods will be very difficult to get cash flow (think Elmwood Village or Hertel Ave duplexes that are $350-400K but gross $3600/mo on the top end). 

If you end up paying a preferred rate that is too high, your preferred equity investors will be very happy but your common equity investors could not only lose out on returns but even lose principal because most preferred equity deals have the preferred equity investors receiving all their return on capital and all their return of capital before the common equity investors get anything.I have done deals where all the investors were structured as preferred equity with a specific stated return and no upside beyond that return.