No bank will fund a project prior to it being permitted and plans approved.

We don't have very good credit so we cannot go the bank route for a loan, we are looking for hard money lenders but we just have not yet got approved, we have been saving to make this dream a reality so to speak and are just a little concerned with investing all of our savings in a shell without knowing we will begin work straight away. 

In many instances, you can triple net the commercial space sufficiently to cover your debt service, with the residential offering greater mobility in the short run.

I got a pre approval for an fha loan on a duplex.  

Hi I'm new to the group, but find it great educational material.I'm renting my condo in Florida through RE agent, and come to a situation where agent found a potential tenant for me, now the agent insists that I sign the lease with tenant and tenant is approved by Homeowners association before forwarding first/last moth rend and security deposit to me.

If you're really interested in the property get a pre-approval from his lender and then use your own financing for the deal...pre approval doens't mean you're tied to that lender.  

Your budget is limited so if you can get financing from French banks, that would be great (albeit I think it will be hard to get approval for financing a property in the US).Definitely share with us if the French banks are willing to do so!

Its best that you have contingencies as an out i.e. an Attorney Clause or in your case a Financing Clause(since your partner is your financier and without their approval, there will be no closing).Kudos,Mary 

We have to use the Real Estate Commission approved forms as agents.

No treasures... but when I managed a mobile home park in Venice Fl, we had an owner abandon his home... so after 6 months, we finally got possession and when I entered to check the place out, the first thing I found was... the previous owner in bed, where he had died 6 months earlier (long story, but due to past issues we were not able to enter his home without permission out of fear he would sue us...again)!