I'm thinking about putting the money somewhere 'safe'(maybe something like us treasury money market fund) that would give me enough returns to match inflation, so that i could then invest that when there is a downturn/correction/recession, without losing any of my buying power.

I vote hard for option C- but I love the power of rolling via a 1031 into a multifamily. 

I think both schools of thought can be very powerful, but you have to be disciplined and focused to achieve your goals either way.

But should you get interested in CREI such as multifamily or self-storage, the game rules become much more favorable, since lenders look at the asset and it’s performance, the syndicator’s funding power and partner quality to increase NOI rather than looking at the individual capital investors.

They have a lot of power (and perhaps overstep it as well), so it will be hard to work around their rules.

They will have one or two people that can bump your purchasing power significantly with the use of rental income derived from the property you are purchasing. 

I'd be pretty upset if I had to pay the power bill for someone trying to keep the temp at 68 degrees 24/7 with the windows open when it is 100+ degrees outside.

And that's a powerful story for the future.  

Goes to show you the power of networks/relationships.

Never, ever underestimate the power of the network.4.