Work Quality:I hired professionals to inspect the work, and they found multiple issues and evidence of negligence in the construction.

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

For long-term strategies, a cash-out refinance is usually more advantageous, as it preserves ownership and offers fixed terms.To proceed, start with a professional appraisal to confirm the home’s value, compare refinance terms with traditional lenders, and carefully scrutinize shared-equity program terms to ensure they align with your financial goals.

It was a gut punch to see the tenants whose income we were counting on mass exodus the building right after we closed Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

Is this something I should hire a lawyer/other professional for or can I just do it myself? 

Thinking of using a professional interior designer/minoan for furnishings.

No, meaning that if you had professional support it's likely they helped you set the table for later.This much structure with five properties can be overload and proper planning.

There's no accountability on tenant (simply fill out a bogus covid hardship form saying they cannot pay anything).Is it possible for me or some professional to do a credit report and dig up information on what their net worth is and go after their assets in the courts and the judge would force them to pay out of their checking / savings / retirement accounts?

If you are renting to professionals, you shouldn't have to worry about the landlord/tenant laws.

It’s worth a look see, just do your homework up front before hiring the other professionals to make this happen.Good luck