Get permission from the lender before you do the transfer deed.

I've met partners, lenders, contractors, essentially my team and its been incredibly valuable.I also recommend finding someone in your market doing what you want to be doing at a larger scale and figuring out a way that you can provide them value.

Talking with a investor friendly lender and talking through what this looks like, what you can qualify for, etc. can be very helpful. 

I'd recommend using a good lender that covers the rehab budget - so you are not out of pocket for the purchase & rehab amount.

However, that doesn't mean the lender would exercise it.

Here are a couple of factors to consider (and facts to know): - The financing portion can be very tricky if your lender is not familiar with the improvement exchange structure.  

Reach out to a variety of lenders, as banks, credit unions, private lenders, etc., all have varying terms.

Is this the point where I need to go for private funding and hard money lenders?

I always recommend going to RipOffReport.com and leaving a review. 

Generally, a larger MF lender wants to see experience.