The new economy has opened endless opportunities for entrepreneurs to start businesses or go to work as a contract worker. 

I think the unemployment numbers are too skewed by the CARES act allowing so many more to apply including 1099 workers such as Realtors

Started the eviction process in March, and due to covid the eviction date was pushed to July 8th (yay for me).My downstairs tenant the other day asked if she could get out of the lease a month or two early, because the upstairs tenant is smoking weed so heavily (illegal in Virginia), that the smell is starting to come through downstairs tenants AC ducts, and she was two young kids.

I do agree that DC is #1, with government at 12%, legal at 11% and tech workers at 11% of the workforce makeup, and with the DC area having the highest incomes in the country.

Going back to BRRRR, you could still pursue this if you seek out private loans like from friends, family or co-workers.

A co-worker introduced me to one of his friends looking to sell his rental properties and retire.

I talked with multiple local agents asking this question (just finding them randomly on Zillow) while some of them say"that depends on the contract" most of them saying" never heard about it" with one saying "that might be illegal" Did pay an attorney to look at the rental agent contract and he is pretty sure that she shouldn't charge me double. eventually, I sent her what lawyer told me to say and she reply basically saying " she has put in a lot of effort into helping me.

Later he receives suit papers from the Tenant for a Workers Compensation claim.

You don't even know if the person claiming to be the seller  is the actual owner.BTW, I have not looked in to NY real estate laws, but if it's like almost every other state, an unlicensed wholesaler is illegally performing unlicensed real estate brokering. 

Suing probably doesn't help much since your tenant likely has very little in assets.If this were me, I would first check to see if I am already illegal with Section 8 or the state.