And the fact that you have a contractor you know personally is name of the game! 

Contractors do a great job where they know you're going to look.

Would be curious to know what the exact details of this lawsuit are?

It does make me feel more comfortable as I know the are well as a Real Estate Agent.

please let me know if you have successfully completed a creative finance deal and you have some terms example breakdowns i can take a look at much appreciated im trying to buy an apartment complex asap

Quote from @Alex Patton: I know there are hundreds (thousands probably) of lenders out there that offer a DSCR product.

How do I know which questions to ask to ensure the property manager is performing at its best?

I know I could put furniture on 0% interest credit cards, but I would need 2+ years to pay it off and I don't want to have to jump through hoops to cycle a balance onto new cards. 

That's the only way you will know if it's legal.In a true wholesale deal you are putting the property under contract, then either assigning your contract or double closing. 

For a variety of reasons, including keeping this potential project "need-to-know" only right now, I want to get a ballpark estimate with full understanding that the goal posts could move in either direction as the project gets more discrete.