Some advice about the market, it don't try to beat it, real estate should be a very long term investment and if you hold a property long enough it will rough out an losses that the market will take from it.Regarding your two options, neither are bad ideas but it is all about the execution, be sure to do your due diligence and have a strong team to support you, when you finally pull the trigger.

Interest rate from Zillow is probably absolute best case execution rate. 

Any insight would be helpful.Second, in regards to financing the deal itself, since there is no way to get a mortgage and I do not have 775K all cash, use a private money lender until a certificate of occupancy is acquired and necessary renovations executed to bring up to a B property and refinance into a conventional mortgage from there.

Rather than risk legal difficulties by trying to wholesale using purchase agreements with various "subject to" escape clauses, why not avoid these issues altogether by executing an option agreement with the property owner instead?

I am looking to hire an executive assistant.

I am looking to hire an executive assistant.

If you are off on your construction costs, or your appraisal comes in low, rent at expected rate doesn't happen it can sink your ship.If executed correctly there are no better methods in my opinion. 

Great, just educate and execute! 

If you do not have money to execute the contract then you should stop playing around.

You aren't the only person trying to obtain their property, so, try to be different.Direct mail is a great and effective tool at our disposal but it takes time to properly execute a direct mail campaign.