However, since my wife qualifies to claim status as a "qualified real estate professional" I'm trying to determine if different strategy  might also be on the table. 

If so, your conforming residential loans are on the table..

I should be able to do a cash out of hopefully around $100k and am excited to purchase my next property, but I also want to make sure I'm not leaving money on the table by paying too high of an interest rate.

I worked some small under the table cash jobs in between, but nothing of note.

We can't continue to operate and keep on pace for our growth out of the small office and my garage.The leasing option we have on the table is a premium central location and should be large enough to expand into for future needs.

We would have been able to live in our houses rent free until they were demolished, likely 3 years +... so it was pretty much a million bucks on the table. 

Get an offer on the table, find a good replacement and then execute the sale and purchase. 

Real estate is basically a 3 legged table: time to work, money to invest and knowledge to contribute.

In college, my roommates and I once let a 4th individual move into our apartment and sleep under the ping pong table for $100 a month plus 1/4 of the utility, cable and landline (showing my age).

So this could be bringing them a deal, being a private lender or just bringing some type of skill to the table that they don't have.