Then, once all the work was done your equity in the property was more than 20% could you then re-finance with a standard fixed rate loan, Pay off the FHA loan info, and then get another FHA loan with a 203K loan?

I offered to accept my documents & loan fee as compensation for the illegal processing.Walked into the office two days latter and collected both.It is TRUE that this is 24 yrs later and the standards have changed, so verify your rights before you pull the trigger on the above suggestion.

I receive the assignment agreement in my inbox several hours later in the day, and everything seemed standard but a $1,000 EMD required the very next day and a 7 day closing stuck out like a sore thumb.

As a standard policy, we either have a tenant move out in the AM and the new one move in, in the PM, or we have security stay during the 'vacant' days, or we board up.  

A standard oil tank removal will be about 2-3k with permits, testing, etc. no too bad.

What's the standard around it....all single family....then the answer is likely they would not approve a variance in my opinion.If lots of 2 and 3s then they might.If you don't have the right zoning approval at some point you could get stuck...and not in a good way.One thing I have seen too is if you go and ask...hey I'm thinking of this...and they tell you no it won't happen/can't happen and you do it anyway....they often win that fight....I would be generic in your discussions if you can.  

What you can do is convert to a subcontractor with your employer (if they'll allow it) and then you'll get all kinds of tax advantages for being a small businessowner, but you can't just convert W2 income into a corporation.The tax professional standard isn't met only by 750 hours.  

After 6 months (once a month) I go to standard letter or postcards.

Of course when it comes time to exercise the option to purchase, then everything goes through the standard purchase process with title/escrow, notary, county clerk, etc...  

It may end up that you give all your proceeds to the bank first and you take your profit on the last couple of homes (which is standard).