Any ideas on how to help him find a lender that would handle this type of unusual circumstance?

I highly doubt that you could have filed a lis pendance lawsuit over the circumstances of you backing out at no fault of the seller..

I can tell you that loan programs do not consider loan proceeds as income, they are considered assets and are eligible to be used as a down payment under certain circumstances. 

If your a millionaire they are great to work with.I think they are over priced and they make big money decisions and try and talk you into it.Most classy women can make those decisions for you for a mere compliment or a nice dinner.

Good luck for her to find a landlord who would respond better in similar circumstances.

I know one lender who will do land for up to 3 years and also can convert to a construction loan under the right circumstances.

With your units you should have handymen/women ready to  help you.  

Unless there are particular circumstances that do not allow you to qualify for FHA, then conventional loan requires higher down.

So I found the CEO of the organization, googled until I found an email address and wrote them a compelling message about the circumstances.

Hey folks, my very first post but I'm suddenly very motivated by changing job circumstances (not getting laid off at least not right now) and hoping this community is as welcoming and helpful as the podcast and books I'm reading claim!