I would recommend going to the small independent local granite contractor as opposed to Lowes or Home Depot as they do have minimum on the square feet of granite that you would be required to buy.

He can just pay you as a 1099 independent contractor.

are they usually independent, do they have a job offering before they even signed up, do they instantly go to the next reia meeting and see what their market offers ?

Also, if I were "on" the cable bill, then the tenants would likely need to contact *me* if their internet went down . . . but since I have nothing to do with it, they can (and do) handle those sorts of issues independently. 

The FMV of the property may be supported by an independent appraisal done at date of conversion.Though the county assessment information is sometimes used as reference, you need to be careful using it for this purpose.

Contingent or pending properties are not taken into consideration on the asking price, but instead are factored in depending on the amount of inventory there is available to buyers.  

I want to achieve financial independence at some point in the near future and the only feasible way I can think of doing that is through smart real estate investing.

I have a goal to be financially independent within 10 years and I realized the only way to achieve it was to make my largest assets work for me and therefore I've made commitment this year to start actively investing in real estate. 

Congrats on taking action and working towards your financial independence!  

However, don't just read it, read it until you understand it, then practice what it teaches and you will be on your way to financial independence.