SDIRA's are used as an alternative to a regular IRA to allow to invest your funds outside of Wall Street. 

I've kind of just been looking through Craigslist when I run the analysis on rental properties, but was wondering if there were alternative ways. 

When you're an active employee, you can't take out the 401k funds anyways, or even if you do with the fines etc (as you mentioned), you REALLY need to be sure that the alternate investment vehicle is going to generate more returns and have a LOW probability of default/failure.

It is possible an attorney may be able to draft alternate language if both you and the seller are comfortable playing "appraisal roulette"

The whole craze of STRs as a viable alternative investment for Joe Public has made finding good deals (at least my definition) in the Gatlinburg market exceedingly difficult.  

Your daughter can either learn life lessons from you and your wife now with your help...or she can spend the rest of her life learning (or not learning) on her own the hard way.  15 is not young at all...she will be out of the house in a couple of years.And what's the alternative...go work at a yogurt shop? 

If so, then what's the alternative source for water.

If yes, can suggest some better alternatives.

Yea...Unfortunately they are out of the eviction game as well, but he did offer an alternative attorney so I am awaiting a call back.  

But an alternative would be going through with a Hard Money Lender as they would lend to an LLC.