Any other ideas for how to solve this problem?

I have no idea what to expect at this point. 

If you wanted to do a 1031 exchange down the road to use that equity and trade up then that'd be a good idea.

They love the idea of wealth, financial freedom, but don't want to put their own financials on the line.

No way to say for sure since each lender is different and I have no idea of the terms you need or your FICO, but it is typically the prime rate plus a couple of points.

They offer a $10K repair fund to fix damages in addition to SD plus warranty for appliance repair etc.I have no say in whom they choose to move in, whether there are animals, limit on # of occupants etc. they reserve right to inspect property so i have no idea if they can tell me to remodel, paint etc.does this make sense i have a vacancy coming up in October (bad rental timing).

Do have an idea of your preferred acquisition price and how much rehab might be required? 

I haven’t done my first deal yet, but through hiring a local contractor to build my personal residence I had this idea that I don’t hear people talking about.

I like the idea of getting a great deal, so should I take a pay cut, invest in getting my real estate's license, go the CCIM route, and find a broker to sponsor me until I'm a CRE broker and earn of the commission and get into bigger deals as a GP?

Collecting a refundable security deposit upfront is a good way to protect yourself from damages, too.If you haven’t already, setting up a website for your property is a good idea.