They seem to be interchangeable/on the same scale (at least a VantageScore 3.0 and above), but conventional lenders prefer FICO?

@Lashawn McCauley I'm working on a large scale mixed use rehab in Newark now with a particularly connected developer. 

The more efficient you can be, the more you can scale up.

We are in Columbus, OH area.Multi-family seems like the way to go in order to take advantage of economies of scale.  

I don't know specifically about your jurisdiction but in most areas you don't need an architects stamp for single family work of the scale described but they can act as a coordinator for the engineering you will need as well as be your pint of contact with the city.Hopefully there's some useful info in this post, don't hesitate to reach out if you have any other general permitting or architecture questions.

If you have big goals you need to focus on commercial to scale.

Grow that to 300+ properties and you've reached a point of critical mass where the level of quality if sacrificed simply because the same level of efficiency at a small scale is very difficult if not possible with increased volume. 

@Glorinda Lane. learn and know your numbers on what a decent profit is.. on a scale realtors are happy when  - they are paid a fee by their investor client to show properties  - when investor actually make reasonable offers , or any offer after seeing a house with client  - when investors know their numbers  - when investors don't cry the blues about paying a commission  - when investors don't ask them how much it takes to renovate a property (this is why you know your numbers)  - when investors don't try to lower a commission at settlement because the investor miscalculated his number  - did i mention when investors know their numbers ?

Before you build and sell a massive new real estate development, you’d probably commission a model built to scale.

John closing costs depend on what you are selling and what you are buying.A client for example selling off residential and buying NNN retail through me for a 2 million price point might have 2.5% in closing costs.Comparatively a 10 million property might have 1.25% in closing costs because with scale legal, report costs, etc. can be cheaper as a percentage of the purchase price.