You will have to get the property appraised at the time of distribution to determine it's value and the amount of distribution will be taxable event unless you are taking distribution from Roth and have met the requirements. 2) Non-recourse lending means that the borrower does not provide personal guarantee for the loan, the underlying asset is the only security for the loan.3) You can contribute into an IRA independently of your 401k contributions, assuming you are eligible based on your income.4) If you set up truly self-directed Solo 401k plan you can invest into virtually anything except collectibles and any transactions involving disqualified person.

It has little to no value and you might want to have it independently confirmed.  

That doesn't mean you can't make/save more money going the DIY route, it just means you're going to work a heck of a lot harder.So, turnkey companies can buy low, rehab efficiently, and then sell at (or, in our case, sometimes below) appraisal value (and you should always be able to see an appraisal and/or get your own independent appraisal done).

For a couple - this number increases to 8 if husband-wife each own their independent properties w/o having each other's names on the title docs?

At this point, I don't know enough to take on the independent lifestyle, so I think it would behoove me to work for an employer to gain knowledge while having more security.

I just don't know how much of an issue it actually is as of yet.I have thought about getting an estimate from a foundation repair company, but at the same time would much prefer to have an independent analysis of what exactly is needed instead of hearing it from someone who can easily inflate the situation to improve their own profit.Thanks for any tips!

Run your own numbers and get a second and third independent opinion before you pull the trigger.As others have said, $250k is not going to work as a buy and hold.

If it's "financial independence", what does that mean exactly? 

My goal is to be financially independent when I'm 25. 

A reputable realtor can find you an independent contractor, at least I did many times, charging a fee, but at least you will be getting an honest opinion.