This was also the first deal I was able to find a quality staging company.

With that said, if you're not at that stage, it can be very frustrating if you're trying to have some simple funtionality here and there; this might be a good use case for a "out-of-the-box solution".With this said, I know how you feel.

She thought she might be able to get more than my max of 65k, but our value became clear when I asked her if the other party had a contract, settlement company, financing arranged or cash to purchase, etc.

I’m currently in the phase of learning the NUMBERS and Percentage for cash buyer. What
is a good net RIO Annually

This is especially true if you are looking at 50/50 arrangements.

Would this arrangement work the way I am expecting it?

Qualified buyers will be staged in a cue.

On my STR out of state, I do some work myself if I'm there and other work the PM will arrange if I'm not - I can't fix an HVAC unit from 600 miles away.

Disclaimer: you can front load your scope... it muddle the water a little, and I'm not recommending you do it, but if you overestimate on items you will have finished first... roof, demo, etc, then you can take a larger draw upfront and help carry you through the next stages. 

I’m also in the knowledge stage and have found it helpful working with people I already know that are involved in reí.