Starting out by flipping houses and eventually getting into rentals and passive income properties eventually allowing me to leave my 9-5 job.

It'll be stolen from someone else, but that's not your problem, just don't leave it where someone can run the registration number.

They are leaving.

I see this as the best direction moving forward as my family and I leave military behind.

I would try to leave exterior, landscaping, and yard work and the final steps. 

So I received 80% of the equity, leaving 20% in the home, and losing a few thousand from all of the closing costs, appraisal fees, etc.

If you have a good amount of money in your 401K or Pension, have a stable job you don't plan on leaving in 5 years, or don't plan on retiring anytime soon, you can take out a loan from both or either of those retirement funds to use as capital and invest with it.

Our objective is to eliminate water / humidity near the building foundation and also get rid of these hedges that just trap leaves and trash beneath them.

Partnering could also mean they bring 50% of the money rather than $50K, leaving you money leftover for another investment.  

Unfortunately our rural towns have been dying since the 50s/60s - which is sad as there are lots of cool and fascinating places - but it all happens slowly - first a large employer leaves, or maybe there's a farming crisis, tax revenue decreases, then folks with younger kids move away or the younger kids grow up then they immediately leave then never come back, then the schools start to die, then the schools close, then no one wants to live there, then the local hospitals or clinics lose fed or state funds then they close, their workers leave etc.