And there are now some options to directly invest in a DST with a sponsor without paying the heavy front-end loads and commissions that weaken the investment.

While the repairs will temporarily affect rental operations, the long-term tax advantages from depreciation could help recover some of the initial financial outlay.In terms of negotiations, it would be wise to push for a larger price reduction instead of accepting a cashier's check, given the magnitude of the repairs and the expected loss of rental income during the downtime.

Personally I have never been a fan of pre-tax accounts (401Ks and IRAs) because I feel like they constrain my ability to invest in the assets I want, so another consideration you may have is to temporarily stop those investments to save faster for your house.

I expanded fast and my reserves for sure suffered temporarily ( was taking some reserves for future downpayments) , but am aggressively building those back up, while growing my personal savings bucket, and do very strigegent tenant background checks and references.   

For example, temporarily stopping utilities to their unit during a repair or if there will be loud noise or a major renovation on the premises. 

Nothing wrong with living somewhere like that temporarily while you look into places/neighborhoods that you would want to buy/live in as well. 

Push the closing date to 59 days before the end of the first lease that expires (assuming you will be occupying that unit, even temporarily until one of the other units are available)2.

Due to current market conditions and unforeseen financial challenges, we havedecided to temporarily suspend distribution payments.

After so many homeowners are displaced, some will need to rent temporarily, but existing renters may not want to move back. 

Mulch or Ground Cover: For the back, you could lay mulch or gravel temporarily.