A structural engineer from the buildings department claims its strong enough to build on...Im not sure how disclosing the location (further than Brooklyn NY) helps with this question.

This could be a very useful technique for people like my parents who no longer have time on their side and need a more robust way to build wealth.

I also want to learn about wholesaling and flipping so as to be able to fit the deal to the best exit strategy.I have been working as an engineer for 15 year and even though I enjoy my work, I realize that I am building wealth for somebody else and I want something of my own.

Hello,Looking at homes that need foundation and/or fire/water remediation, a structural engineer contact would come in handy. 

Do I need to contact an architect or residential construction engineer to confirm whether it's load bearing?

The property is basically flat, fairly rocky soil in the area, and engineering has been done to call for #4 rebar at 12" on center with a 4" slab with beams ranging between 2-3 ft.Now to the question... the builder that is helping me along the way got a quote of $13,000.

I have 2600 sq ft of extra engineered hardwood that I can sell for $1.10/sf.

I'm a full time engineer by trade (for now), so I'm not looking to become a working agent per se, but I certainly agree with the benefits you've mentioned. 

I work as a structural engineer and numbers just make sense to me, probably more so than words.

Hire an engineer to walk the land.