@Jorge VazquezI would never pay someone to do something they were supposed to do in the first place.I would hire an attorney and pursue that avenue, sue for losses if you wish.School of hard knocks

I met Zach on biggerpockets and I was a bit skeptical about investing out of state and meeting someone on Biggerpockets.

Perhaps a comment of "hey by the way" instead of a comment on the board making an assumption that someone is trying to do something wrong. 

@Blake Alan Quarrie sounds like the city is pressing you and most likely because someone is complaining to the alderman(neighbor most likely).  

That is my opinion with not too much evidence other than what I have gleaned on internet searches.How many bookings do you get from FF vs AirBNB?

You might also meet someone that could be a potential business partner.

How should I choose a true Qualified Intermediary and know I am getting someone good at a reasonable price and know I wont get scammed?

It's very unwise to use a new builder in the area as you need someone plugged into the town so you reduce your delays and get inspections on the timeline as they expect.

Unless you are someone who can do a majority of the work/labor, it’s unlikely the numbers will work on these properties

Or what is your process to guarantee that they don’t lose their money if you decide to sell to someone else or get sued and lose the property?