Cabinet people? 

I plan on traveling out to Kansas City in September and meeting with Storybook and some other potential team members. 

In my discussions and through networking and meeting other wholesalers in South Florida, Ohio, and other areas of Florida what has worked well and been consistent with bringing leads has been bandit signs.

With a regular, regulated lender neither one is legally possible and wouldn’t meet fed/state banking regulations.The current lender will either give you a discounted pay off, or they won’t.....that is your only solution to refi.The deferred principle makes this sound like a loan Modification done by a major lender.....not sure what a “balloon payoff penalty” is, sounds you are mixing up terminologies.

Good to meet someone in my own back yard. 

I am pending on a duplex that already has existing tenants in the lower level, they have been there 3 years, always paid rent, and after meeting them really seemed to be nice people that enjoy living there. 

I also some experience installing flooring, kitchen cabinets, and plumbing.

Have your new rules in hand upon meeting (as long as they don't contradict with the lease).

I don't like to self promote at all, but I'm going to in this case (search key word RareBird and I'm sure you'll see some recommendations for our networking meetings here on BP) as our speakers in August are soon to be retired engineers.

If you feel that you are stuck I would recommend going to a real estate meet up where you would interact with active real estate investors.