Same document sheds light on your other thread in re:"In dealing with the buyer, a seller's agent should (a) exercise reasonable skill and care in performance of the agent's duties; (b) deal honestly, fairly and in good faith; and (c) disclose all facts known to the agent materially affecting the value or desirability of the property, except as otherwise provided by law."

Great material! 

We hope to put them to work for us in exchange for free trips to Hawaii to hang out with their family.Can anyone suggest reading material for a tear down/rebuild?

You should have joined all 3 simultaneously when you went to the local board in person.Membership should be immediate after you pay all the yearly dues and fees and you will start receiving materials from the National and State boards in the next few days and weeks.

What say does a little investor have in any of this or other materially significant decisions?  

Purchase materials as cheaply as possible via Craigslist, Ebay, Amazon, etc. 

I'm an Army vet myself (medically retired last year) and my brother is a C-17 pilot.This is slightly off topic, but one of the best things I did in my career was every time I got a raise or promotion, I socked that money away because I figured I lived on that pay last year, I can this year, too. 

If someone could point me to some beginners reading materials, and possibly recommend a strategy to get some skin in the game (i.e. how to get a JV money partner) I would be very grateful! 

We "lucked out" and found one of our tenants was in irreparable material breach of the lease.

I've updated and spent about 15k in materials.