Other investors like to think of their rental properties as a business, therefore putting it into an LLC legitimizes a business entity.

So please, somebody prove me wrong, or make a legitimate effort to be blunt up front with people who are "brand new" to the game, because odds are, if they have $25,000 in their hip-pocket to play with, they aren't wasting their time on here looking for advice.

@Matt MoldenhauerAn individual's site will more than likely get close to zero visitors but it might look cool on a business card and make your business seem more legitimate

But still, your concern is legitimate.

BP is my one venue to fill my REI discussion needs.  

Who would I turn to to figure out a rough cost of making this a legitimate fourplex?

While their are numerous legitimate ways to structure a "creative" transaction, almost all fall into one of the following categories1- Convince an INDIVIDUAL - often the seller, to finance 100% of the purchase price2- Syndicate the purchase by raising equity capital - you will have to give up a majority of the equity in the transaction3- Take over an existing loan, and borrow the "equity" from the seller, or a third party individual at a high interest rate.You have to do a "sales job" on someone to make a nothing down situation work.  

where are the wholesalers with legitimate sales comps?

As far as I know there is not a "legitimate" way to get paid to manage the property and have your father be able to deduct it as an expense without being a professional manager. 

At least for those offering legitimate seller financing, the clients are actually buying the property from day one.