2) the financial upside of a non-performing note going to performing (funds will tend to take this for themselves)3) to not have all my risk concentrated into a few investments Partials seemed like a good option with those three requirements but maybe I'm looking for too much.

If selling the SF homes is more difficult then concentrate on that first. 

Also, it's been concentrated in places like Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve, where the rental yields aren't the highest.

Here’s a quick rundown:Pros:No Mortgage Payments: You won't have to worry about monthly loan payments.Full Ownership: You immediately own the property outright.Flexibility: You can easily choose to live in it or rent it out.Savings: No interest payments or mortgage fees.Negotiation Edge: Sellers often prefer cash buyers, which can help you get a better deal.Cons:Opportunity Cost: Your cash is tied up in the property, so you might miss out on other investment opportunities.Liquidity: Real estate isn't easy to convert to cash quickly.Risk Concentration: Investing a lot in one property can be risky.Ongoing Expenses: You'll still need to cover property taxes, maintenance, and insurance.Do whatever makes sense for you!

Able to concentrate on building anssets and equity with occasional cash outs when she changed jobs. 

I dont think you need advice for anyone how to structure this your already experienced operator.. the decisions is do you want to keep adding doors or concentrate on paying off what you have.

And, I would easily win any argument that the knowledge you receive from a seminar concentrated on a subject which, if used correctly, can net you thousands of dollars in income within weeks is worth thousands times more than any standard educational instruction in the basics of getting a J.O.B. 

A very investor friendly brokerage and concentrate on innovative real estate strategies.

It also has an unusually high concentration of 2-4 family multi-family options to make your dollar go a little further, if a duplex or fourplex is your cup of tea.

The problem with this is that they tend to place INCOME as the main feature of any investment they’re currently considering, and their decision making process centers around how a particular investment will fit into their ULTIMATE portfolio, the one that is large enough to generate all that income which will replace their earnings, and still grow enough to offset inflation.In my opinion, what the investor in this situation should be doing is concentrating on WEALTH BUILDING, not passive income.