( private lenders of course are just them no overhead) However when we are talking about licensed companies.. they need their reps that get a commission.. they have to pay their underwriter to underwrite the file.. and if they are collecting payments monthly they need a robust software system and full time accountants etc.. 

This will at least give you a foot in the door while you narrow down your criteria for REI.

what are some tips to help me get started on the right foot?

In hindsight I should have set my foot down, stuck with my gut and what the numbers showed.

Storage sheds that are converted to living space must then conform to Zoning for the Main House or ADU setbacks, and may need to match the architectural style of the house (every jurisdiction is different), as well as Building Code, including correct footings or slab for flood areas, hurricane straps for winds, current requirements for septic tanks/fields (common even in Pinellas County), and the egress (one 36" door) and bedroom window emergency escape requirements. 

Add in robust job growth and it is the right recipe for investment. 

its gona run you at minimum $130/sq ft but probably closer to $160/sq ft, much will depend on foundation, permits, and lumber prices, Current umber prices you will probably be closer to $175-180/sq ft, but when prices come down so will the per foot price.   

$10 to 20 per sq foot unless fancy or high end house

My recent building was a 3 unit that has one unit that's much too large (3000+ sq foot), but after realizing that same fact (adding sprinklers in a 1860s brick home), we decided against it as the cost was too high, and besides which there was no good way to add fire suppression without destroying the character of the home. 

We have a robust education, research, and financial economy that shields a lot of the volatility of the market.