You can ask buyer to get Builder Risk policy before they start any build that will give protection both for liability and issues with payment to sub contractors thus helps to keep other liens for being placed. 

For me, builder grade cabinets, formica countertops, traditional appliances, and vinyl planks for flooring do the job.

I used to be a builder in SD and ran across many settlement issues.

In your case, we would get the deal within a few hours of it hitting the market if it was a listed property while you are still calling lenders.As far as builders, the good ones are booked out a ways and if they have not worked with you before, they will not be likely to run and look at jobs that they might not get if you do not get the offer accepted. 

And the house is too small for the land it sits on so it won’t sell as a sfr and builders won’t touch it either.

The Lot size is generally comparable to the lot sizes for the SFHs around it but the SQFT of the duplex (each unit) is larger than most of the SFH (i guess the builder wanted to maximize the livable space versus lot size). 

But you're right... over a long enough horizon, appreciation will no doubt be the wealth builder.

Currently looking for an internship for the summer would you recommend interning with an agent or interning with a home builder if I’m looking to enter the fix and flip / brrrr game.

This is similar to what builders have been telling me.  

Hello my fellow BPers,I'm an architect who builds, and am looking for finance partners to help me develop a mixed-use property in northern NJ. At the moment, I have 3 shortlisted properties. As the developer, I would ...