@Scott Palmer My background is similar to yours, retired now, but worked in corporate finance, systems, programming, and when I semi retired, bookkeeping. 

What corporate structure do you use for NJ house flipping?

I formed an LLC with a business name that is unique and the preparer inexplicably failed to include a comma after the legal name, I was astounded to discover this one day because I have always included the comma in my business name as a basic form of punctuation and by far and away the format in which most corporations and LLC's represent the legal name of their business.

I have no desire to get an office job and climb the corporate ladder because I get very frustrated when I have to sit inside all day. 

Will depend on several factors like the type of property, type of tenants, your risk tolerance, other assets you own, your estate planning, laws where the property is located, etc.Any lawsuits would be limited to the assets of the LLC and not your personal assets (assuming you run the LLC appropriately and the corporate veil is not pierced).

If all of your income is from rentals, there's probably no benefit to an S Corp or LLC taxed as S Corp. 

However; if you do a search on BP here's several posts dealing with the benefits of different types of corporations.

Some mixed use properties might fall under this depending on the how the lender views the property.If you are buying a SFH as a second home or to rent it out, it would still be a conventional loan, but the lender will likely require a higher down payment and interest rate to make sure you have skin in the game and aren't going to run away.If you are trying to put the property in an LLC, it would have to be a commercial loan because Fannie Mae doesn't lend to corporations.

I am 47 and need to exit corporate America as fast as possible.  

Spent the last 6 years in investment banking, M&A, corporate debt lending, and private equity and have sold a company for $20mm out of my personal firm.I’m still not sure exactly where to start regarding the DD / closing fees.