It you book all your notes into one QB file, you have to generate reports that pull out a specific note.  

The outcome would be a sizable profit margin to split up between myself and the builder.

I would prefer getting fixed price bids from contractors because this will make evaluating profitability easier/faster.

Reach out to a few and find one who will take you under their wing.If you're feeling altruistic, another way to learn and get construction experience is to volunteer for non-profits like Habitat for Humanity.

No, it will negative cash flow, big time.A HML will not loan on a property that either: is not rent-ready; is not priced low enough to compensate for repairs with a profit margin built in; does not cash flow with a margin for selling costs built in in case they have to foreclose on you; or that will not yield enough rent to provide that cushion.

As a follow-up, I got a call and they seem oblivious to my being annoyed by their attempt to profit from my asset, and have said they will take down the ad. 

In addition, for us to purchase a place to call home (somewhere we actually want to exist) and leave empty while we travel, we are looking at having to spend at least $850k with no real upside or income generating potential. 

I have made money on the last 15 or so deals I did there  everyone made a profit and I can't say that about all markets I work and I work 14 .. 

Part of the profit is better than none. 

Not in the best neighborhood but it will generate cash for me.