Appraisers are  mostly independent.  

You have an independent contractor agreement/relationship with your broker.  

IMO, the best start to financial independence in REI is to purchase a property where you can rehab it, rent it, refinance and pull your investment out and repeat until you have your $4-5k in cash flow.  

Independence title

My partner's wife got audited at her business.  

Nothing worthwhile is accomplished without some hard work.When you begin your journey to financial independence, first you must determine where you want to go.

@Linda Collins - I would find a local independent insurance agent.

I’m in the housing business and that’s all I can handle at this time I shall always be grateful to those people who sold me on the proposition that investing in income producing real estate was truly a solid and proven pathway that leads to financial independence.

If financial independence is your goal, then living frugally is more powerful that increasing your income IMO.

And in the number of Tax Audits I have handled for clients, believe me, the Agent was not the least bit interested in the taxpayer's intent, only what he actually did.But it is good to have a diversity of opinion, so the members can decide for themselves.