Should I speak with an attorney before hand? 

But after seeing nothing but a hand drawn sketch and some questioning of the "builder" it was clear he would be in way over his head.Building is never a cut and dried thing, so trying to get reimbursed for your extra expenses is unlikely.  

My goal is to be financially independent and not have to rely on a paycheck all the while being able to build a portfolio that can be handed down to my 2 kids.

@Glenn Clapp I'd count on every single source you can get your hands on including Loopnet.

Is that something you want as an employer- 401ks are generally more $$ to implement and maintain or just do an personal Ira just for yourself or do something in between like a SEP or SIMPLE.

So, I'm very interested in prospect of using a portion of my net worth to invest in real estate now before this opportunity is lost (i.e. from not being able to get a mortgage, or at least as good of one, post-quitting)*.So, I'm looking to try to acquire my first rental property during the week of 7/3-7/10 - which is when I'll be in the area I'm looking to invest in, and be living long-term starting in August (aside from traveling 90% of the year).I've watched a handful of YT videos and read some blogs on real estate investing in the last day, but I'm looking for any quick advice that might make a big difference.

So Id spend my time worrying about things that are much more likely to happen, like needing to replace a roof, than worrying about things that are unlikely to happen.And for those that survived the most recent housing collapse...the solution to surviving it was rather quite simple....dont sell during a downturn.

I also thought SeaTac had a reputation as being "blue collarish" but it reportedly is right in the middle of Seattle and Tacoma offering great path to progress and easy commute to Seattle (via rapid transit)....Alaska Air's HQ is right next to property and there are massive expansion plans, which looks to be a plus...On the other hand, I cannot help wondereing how many potential tenants want to  next to an airline construction activity and a casino.

While they may be flipping houses or syndicating deals they may not be doing it lawfully and it is best to always get an attorney involved before hand. 

Haha I wish I could get my hands on NPN's in the local area, but they are few and far between.