Make sure the building is energy efficient with good insulation, thermal windows, and proper weatherizing.

I know it's not the most efficient use of my time, but until I learn something better this is my way of keeping the hustle flowing.Keep 'em coming, anyone else have something to add?  

Read the beginners guide, very informative and efficient.

And remember the US has some of the lowest energy cost on the planet so they folks in Europe and Asia who pay much more for their heating/cooling energy use them because of their energy efficiency.

Tim Gordon 's point, it must be supportable by an efficient end user process that repeatable, scalable and sustainable.  

The real estate finance market for small scale investors seems less efficient and I wonder if it may offer better opportunities for competitive returns than traditional real estate investment avenues such as purchasing SFR's or small/medium multi-family property to rent.  

Obviously, a trip to Denver would open more possibilities however I understand you want local attorney and better chance of an efficient, cost-effective resolution.Many of the online services forces on social media and are heavy on marketing but may be light on the quality.

Could anybody let me know if this is typical, what the average time is between putting an offer on the table and getting an answer (or what's reasonable), and what are some ways to make the offering process far more efficient than it is for us right now?

Modular specs will likely exceed "stick-built"... the look of the structure can conform to whatever you like but you will achieve the most cost efficiency by stacking the modular boxes.  

One has a main home, 3k sq ft with a 1 bedroom cottage, a 2 bedroom cottage & an efficiency apt.