If given the choice between taking legal advice from my friend or the lawyer I would go with the lawyer.When going to court whomever actually delivered the eviction notice needs to show up to testify.

Even if I had a team of professionals to help I don’t know what choices to make in home design and of course it would cost more than doing it on my own (while working a full time job).

HML's are usually a final choice but a necessary source of loans. 

I think REI is great for someone like you and choosing a TK provider like Memphis Invest would be a good choice both for passive income and because they could help you diversify because of their different markets.However before I start going down any investing path, I would suggest talking with a CPA, lawyer and/or estate planner about how best to invest long-term. 

This property had no issues, the market was already slightly favoring sellers, and I only wanted to find a good (enough) agent for the lowest possible commission.I believe I had a choice of 3 or 4 agents within minutes of giving my info to Upnest.

It doesn't help that the National Floodplain maps are outdated and universally acknowledged to be "politically influenced" (as certain neighborhoods in Houston demonstrated).Maybe it's a bit short-sighted but with plenty of solid places to invest (major cities with booming job markets), it makes pulling the trigger on Florida an unenthusiastic choice.

I have written a blog post that might help you narrow down your choices.

You offered to continue leasing to them at the same rate and it was their choice to put in their notice.

IB is an interesting choice and could be a long term gold mine as Beach cities with affordable property is a rare commodity.  

They have no choice but to say yes.