You are basically financing a business. 

If you need some help getting an idea for what your property could rent for on the market, send me a message.

This will give you the best idea on nightly prices and occupancy.

I either find general contractors who under-budget and stick me later, or those who are so busy I can’t get a reasonable start date, or those who are very available but don’t do good work.

There are a lot of creative ideas out there!

I've heard they tend to be pricier than their competitors, but have shorter timelines due to the way they do project management.It might make sense if paying a premium for faster project completion fits into your business model.

Anyone have any ideas on how I can get this deal done with low / no money down? 

Im not the greatest when it come to public speaking and things like that but I want to meet more people involved in business and real estate so I can network and keep bettering my self. 

If you have the cash, proof of funds is easy: Screenshot a bank balance or provide a recent bank statement.If you have a legitimate hard money lender who has underwritten the deal and confirmed you have the down payment and cash to close, they should be able to provide you a letter stating exactly that.If you have neither, then you have no business making an offer in bad faith and trying to tie up the seller's property.Also (and this is crucial and a common rookie mistake) - Don't send a "cash" offer to the title company and then neglect to tell them about your hard money lender.

I would love recommendations for an architect, I have no idea how to find one!