If it turns out that things change in their life, I have a "friendly buy back program" where they get some of their Option fee back if they move peacefully. 

Not sure if you want to share it publicly, but if you can just pm me the info, I would appreciate it. 

And unfortunately at least for publicly listed properties,   being poorly managed and below market doesn't affect the asking price too much,  as they are all priced based on proforma numbers,   not actuals.

Which would be the better route: work for a Public CPA Firm in the Real Estate division or obtain a Real Estate License?

This is similar to taking the market's temperature by looking at magazine headlines, telemarketing calls, guru sales programs, and the like. 

Again you can buy a list on the internet and in some states where that is public record you can look it up at the courthouse3.

I don’t wholesale personally as I think it has a terrible ROI but if you are inclined to seek out distressed properties, the only real scalable option are FB advertising as Account Closed suggested or direct mail with an well organized, scripted telephone program.  

To me this means having a primary residence in the under $1mil range (but doesn't necessarily have to be under $500k).I will still have school aged children and need access to great schools, ideally public to avoid the cost of privateI would still value the ability to access metropolitan environments, though I don't need to live in the urban core. 

All of that is public info. 

2) Whether or not advertising on my own website constitutes a general solicitation to the public for a securities offering.3) Whether or not I need to be registered as a broker-dealer for providing investment advice with respect to recommending the purchase or sale of securities.I absolutely plan to consult my attorney on these questions but I’m also looking for some experience based answers and a place to look some of these things up in black and white in order to have a more productive and informed discussion with my attorney.Thank you everyone!