The buyer had paid over $70,000.  

In the "industry", you would use an "Acquisition/Rehab" loan that allows you to use part of the loan to apply to the purchase of the property and you'll have some loan funds left over to use for the rehab.

@Michael Overall, The length of time that a DST is open is going to keep you from doing this over time like @Jon Taylor said. 

Over the next couple of years, I don’t plan to use the property often, but I may stay there occasionally when it’s not occupied.

They should still have alerted you if they changed it, but doubtful they need your permission.Anyone can sue anyone in this country, but how much are you willing to spend to chase this?

It’s a longer-term game, though, with higher upfront costs.I’d say spend some time researching your target area and connecting with local investors or meetups—they’re goldmines for market insights and networking.

Are you willing to lose them over this rental?

Time is money and I prefer spending my time with my fam and friends instead of problem tenants and legal cases. 

I only have slightly over 4000sqft on my lot.Does anyone know a way around this?  

A lot of people spend their time doing this, but it's not a good use of time because it can not teach you anything relevant without seeing each one in person.