Independent title companies will be a good place to start. 

Rent potential from ADU - My agent claims that it could rent for upto 1600 per month but based a quick craigslist search I see independent apartments going for 1500-2100.

landlord association .org National Real Estate Investors Association (REIA) National Association of Independent LandlordsAmerican Real Estate and Urban Economics AssociationAmerican Apartment Owners Association

It seems like you’re still undecided as to whether you want to join a team or operate independently and as Anthoney mentioned it can offer a lot of flexibility because of its cloud based nature.

Financial Independence? 

Does the earned income limit is also independently assessed per sponsoring business?

If it's a matter of paying like $1000 for a CPA to do your returns versus $500 for TurboTax, I think the $500 difference is worth it all day long for a) time save, b) maximizing return potential, c) less chance of audit, and d) peace of mind.

Because my long term partner has always worked as an independent contractor, I am the one who had to apply for the mortgage because of my W2 history.

That's why I am with an independent RIA.

There is a need for independent senior housing here.