If so, do you pay yourself as a w-2 employee to avoid self employment taxes?

My full-time employment is working as a deep-sea diver and subsea inspection project manager in which I freelance as a contractor.

Plus potentially self employment taxes as well. 

With all of the new employers coming in, I believe the demand will only increase.

A year ago I went through the whole process because of one's enthusiasm only to find out I was denied because I had less than two years of self-employment tax returns.

Unlike passive rental income, the income from an active trade or business is subject to self employment tax (a nasty 15% tax commonly referred to a "social security and medicare" by working folks).

nice location, 1/2 mile from a well established town 30 min from the the capital raleigh. house going for 13k plus back taxes of 3k.built in 1901 remodeled in 1945, 879 sqf 1 bed 1 bath. needs total gut remodel and major system upgrade. the issue is they have tenets in the house now, family of four, dad cant work bc of heart conditions. unsure of moms employment. landlord says they have been paying rent, but I have no hard records of that.  

I don't think I've every had a 100% complete application, but if they're left off something essential, say their employer or current landlord, I ask them to add that.I'm also very up front about my criteria.  

Thanks to him I shifted my mindset from that of an Employe to a Business owner / Investor.

Has been working full time in 2015 and is on track for income of $170,000 between self employment and real estate investment profits, thats doing nothing else the rest of the year.What would be the best way for them to obtain financing for either a non-owner occupied 2-4 unit income property in the $300k range OR an owner occupied duplex in the $600k range, and is it possible?