(3)  Rehabbing and getting into flipping (my parents were contractors and I had a painting company in Buffalo - closed it to go back to the corporate world but have the time, interest, equipment, and know-how to do most if not all of the drywall / painting work on a flip)(4)  Being an assistant or intern for a house flipper (I'll work for free - teach me and let me see the process from the inside!)

I've been looking into various approaches but have the same problem you see -- there isn't much available in the area,   and much of what is available is overpriced.For me, I've ruled out buying anything in Seattle proper until such time as the political climate stabilizes a little bit,    but I would be happy to find something in a nearby municipality.  

If I had to go back to 1996 when I started, I would do the same thing - get a small multifamily and live in one of the units.One thing I'd change is that I'd operate on of the units as a short-term rental/corporate rental.The technology wasn't around then, but it sure is available now. 

I would buy a duplex in a nice area and turn the other unit into a corporate housing rental.

My husband and I are both corporate engineers looking to retire from our current positions and move onto new challenges away from the current grind. 

(TY professor Chichernea for one of the most intensely challenging Corporate Finance classes ever!) 

We are now going to partner with another couple and not sure if we should do another LLC and file S-Corp or if there is an easier (least expensive/tax advantageous) way to structure this deal.

So I thought I would take this time to reflect on all that has happened since then.Before BP – I worked a 50+ hour a week corporate job and had 3 properties with plans to aggressively pay them off and in 15-20 years be able to quit my job and live off rent incomeAfter BP – I quit my job within 9 months of drinking the BP Kool-Aid and now have 30+ properties and 90+ units and I started my own real estate brokerage and website business and networking conference for investors.It has been a wild ride!

Its the way major corporations and banks make investments. 

Also, it is very easy to "pierce the corporate veil".