Looking for a General construction contractor in the area with excellent track records with similar projects. 

Not too late - when you sign the Loan Estimate is when you've formally engaged and selected the lender so before that you're fine.

While qualifying for a HELOC is dependent on your home equity and your credit score, good or excellent credit makes it easier to qualify.

We don’t know anyone in the area, but you might want to read our series about “How to Screen a PMC Better than a Tenant”, since selecting the wrong PMC is usually more harmful than selecting a bad tenant: https://www.biggerpockets.com/member-blogs/3094/91877-how-to-screen-a-pmc-better-than-a-tenant-part-1-services-and-processesAdditionally, don't treat property management like a commodity and just focus on the lowest price!

Therefore a seller wants to minimize risk by prudently selecting a buyer.

I had select buyers that I shopped to first and they were gone........ 

part of the qualifications process and documents you have, selection criteria etc. 

They have well over 150 software patents and growing but nothing on the idea of renting someone’s home for a vacation spot can be patented.if anyone knows of an excellent patent attorney, state doesn’t matter, specializing in these type of patents please reply with information.Sincerely,Robert 

More commonly, investors are told to find a property with no equity, buy it subject to, and sell it “lease option or lease to own” with the buyer (renter) paying an option fee and above market rent with part of the rent going toward the purchase price, should the buyer ever be able to excel use the option.Here’s the problem with those strategies1.

Sounds like this could be an excellent scenario for you to land in.