My concern is with the process of deciding on home design overall.

I honesty don't have a better use for the few hundred in extra cf I'd get by stretching the payments out 'til death as the word muerte, I mean mortgege, is designed

It looks like it was designed more for multifamilies or apartments than for single families. 

I would be open to the idea provided they have a sound business plans and are willing to provide a design plan for the space. 

Chrome’s cheap, but I’ve hit far too many challenges with things that should just work, like uploading folders or files over a certain size that simply fail, kicking me back to underpowered apps designed for a phone.

I have a county willing to work with my conceptual design.

One designer is offering a flat fee of $3k for 3 months of consultation.

In effect, you need someone to design the change and figure out if steel is needed vs wood framing.

It is almost like it was designed for investors.

If you're wanting someone that's going to play an active role in guiding your real estate investing, you might be looking for awhile...If you don't already have an advisor in mind, I'd suggest you start by looking for a fee-only advisor with a CFP designation ... you can search for one in your area here.