Hopefully you have good people who can respect your wishes and move on. 

A lawyer, no matter what they draw up, can't assure respectable behavior.

While I respect syndications and hard money lenders, like you I am trying to build a portfolio myself and I'd much rather have more control over the opportunity and actually purchasing the asset allows you do just that.

If it's not in there, then the tenant has the right(and honestly the responsibility) to decline that inspection, hopefully respectfully.

Always treat vendors with respect.

My wife and I are 28 and 27, respectively (we don’t plan on having kids anytime soon).

They offered to do the work in exchange for discounted rent, but then quoted a price of $2000. i respectfully declined and invited my own contractor to quote. 

Treat people like you'd like to be treated and they'll respect you and your integrity even if they don't want to hire you or sell you their property.

Anybody with any sense of morality or self respect would not be on these programs long if they could help it .

You're one of the best and I have much respect.