Many investors have found success by self-directing their IRAs or 401(k)s to invest in alternative assets, and one of the most popular assets is real estate.

Alternately what If he pays me this 10% after I have financed the deal contingent on it's purchase?

Alternatively, he could sue you for repairs and possibly get a court to agree that you have not responded to any of his complaints - noise included.

I would discuss a landscape plan with them and make a deal if your alternative was to hire a landscaper or do it yourself. 

Alternatively, using BRRRR I can say that I'm only going to buy a property worth $100k for $75k. 

My long term goals is single or multifamily houses to become financially independent (like every other aspiring graduate xD).After I graduate I plan to hang out in the San Diego area, hopefully find a property to house-hack (though I realize that multifamilies are crazy expensive, so I'm looking for alternatives).

@Arthur LackeyA self-directed IRA is not a means to fund your investment in real estate.Rather, such plans are a means to diversify the IRA beyond stocks and into alternative assets such as real estate.An IRA can purchase real estate, but then it is the IRA - not you - that owns the real estate. 

It’s just an alternative.  

I need a tenant to tell me if they are unable to so that we can work some alternative out.

It may not be a bad alternative for the long run.