If you were owner occupying, the Homestyle loans allow a small percentage of the work to be done by the owner on SFRs, but it sounds like you're looking for an investment, so this wouldn't be an option.  

So, if they are now retired and in a lower tax bracket than you and your brother, they may pay a lower effective tax rate on any taxable income (if any) from the property in your proposed scenario, than you and your brother would if you just bought it and let them live there.

Your reasoning is sound to me!!  

sounds like you have a shot at $200 Deposit and X-Monthes of Pet Rent if it's at least mentioned in your lease.

In the meantime, the owner is too far underwater (or dead) to do anything with the property.Rarely do owners who are financially sound just let a property sit in disrepair.

So I get that the LLC won't provide legal protection, but I'm wondering if my thought process is sound with respect  to the retirement account.

As much trouble as she sounds like she is also a person with her own story. 

hey @Jacob Nunn - like a lot of aspects of the plan - sounds like you have been busy on soaking up all the knowledge.two thoughts from my POV for what it is worth:1 - would be careful on tying up too much cash in the distressed land aspect.  

Sounds like it would also be easier to diversify with partials.

I asked what the difference was (sounds all the same to me), and they said that duplexes had two seporate addresses whereas a 2 unit multifamily shares the same address.