@Stuart Udis, thank you for a great response! 

How can I navigate this journey of rebuilding from zero while still focusing on my recovery and responsibilities as a parent?

First, you want to buy Brandon Turner's book on rental property investing, and his book on managing rental properties.

Here are some tips to get you started:Run the Numbers: BiggerPockets' rental property calculator is your friend!

If I had time to take a 2 week course on it to figure it out, maybe I would have felt differently, but I'm looking for uncomplicated and if their stupid webmaster can't come off his high horse and make it easy then I'm not paying $50 a month plus the lead generation costs...and thats my 2¢

I also found out he didn’t put the right footings in, pretty much left the footings that held up the original stair case. he is using his “buddies” license to pull permits.

Thanks for any insight...we have used a PML in the past but his return request has become something we just won't pay, so this is our first time looking for an alternative.

@Chris Seveney is very right in his analysis in his newsletter when talking about this aspect.

I've done the background check and everything is solid as of now in terms of his creditworthiness and cash flow and maybe I do a lease to purchase instead of putting him on title that way if he faults I do not have to foreclose.

@Gaurav A.Brandon is correct, but his answer is incomplete.