And, presumably, I was well compensated in the Bay Area so I can afford that Class A rent as well.

I get that and believe a good TK provider should be compensated for the value add services they provide.   

The present landlord is a lazy idiot that should have gotten rid of his tenant long ago.I sincerely hope you are negotiating a discount on this property to compensate you for his incompetence. 

Too many reasons, and his IRS problems just add another reason to avoid it.Instead, just have an agreement on his compensation once the deal is sold.

3) can a two-year guaranteed-compensation employment contract be presented in lieu of the typical requirement of two years employment history?

If I fund this deal with friends and family what does the compensation model look like for them?

Any reasonable mentor will help you learn in the process and should compensate you to a reasonable degree.

The lawyer tells me that 25% of the proceeds was going to be part of his compensation.

To you question as to whether you should receive greater compensation for your work that increases the profit for the group down the line, I would say you should think about it in terms of the team.

When they bring me leads and I convert them to deals they are compensated for their work.