I deal with the monstrosity known as the NYC building of department as well as smaller municipalities like in my hometown of Yonkers and there is a wide variation on the time involved and what they require.

Investing defined:  expend money with the expectation of achieving a profit or material result by putting it into financial schemes, shares, or property, or by using it to develop a commercial venture.  

I have checked with Chase bank who I deal with mostly and they frown on REI for lines of credit. 

Ideally, they would be used to working with investors who are out of state.

I've spoken to a few sellers with enough equity to develop a relationship but some of these FSBOs are smart.

I’ve heard some less than ideal things.

We may take on more debt if the value is there, but some of the most sage advice I ever received was from a long-time real estate developer:  "Have a plan to hang on to your property at least a decade." 

They're most likely trying to buy so they can demo and develop the land.

Ideally, you can just non-renew his lease and get a non-smoker in there, but I don't get the impression you want to be that aggressive yet.

So, is it a good idea to start with creating a LLC and website to develop a business platform?