Register her car in CO and make sure she’s not going in to an employer in CA “all the time”. 

Don't make it so complicated that you have to spend more time learning the software than it's actually saving you.

I can bring money and financing, and I'm looking to be boots on the ground.  

I’m married with 4 kids, I make about $175k a year, we have about $250k of total debt, about $500k to $600k in equity in our current property, around $15k in liquid cash and close to $200k in retirement saving.What does action look like for me and my family?

If you went to court you would be awarded money for their gossip that you'd likely never collect and you would be SPENDING MONEY to have a lawyer draft a NDA and to take them to court.

We have found a creative way to access some equity to make our equity work harder for us so it's almost like the beginning of a BRRR strategy.  

For new investors with limited capital, a hard money loan can be a valuable tool to get started.

Make sure they’re licensed and insured, just to cover yourself.Going with veterans or contractors from diverse backgrounds usually works out well since they often bring a good work ethic.

Also make sure you are paid up and he doesn't owe you any money.

Based on a Triplex, I wouldn't spend the money on submetering.