They have 250K in their 401K at their disposal.  

I'm not thrilled about disposing of guest's waste products but I might have to get over it before I dig a septic system if composting toilets are legit.

Thus we should expect engineers to have disposable cash to make real estate investments. 

You sort of answered your own question, it's all about the team and 'boots on the ground' in that area you have at your disposal. 

Disposable income is very alluring, you can get new clothes, get a new phone, buy stuff for your hobbies.

Also when the time comes, I am available to help you or help you find a Commercial/Investment Real Estate advisor to help you acquire/dispose of properties at the best price with the least amount of hassle.  2.

I know it’s a little more powerful than that if you use leverage but if/when you choose to dispose of the property and take the cash you have to repay those taxes correct?

More traditional marketing methods, less traditional method of disposing of property.

For most of the homes the carpets alone were $3200 to $4900 plus two coats of paint on every wall and ceiling, replacing broken bathroom sinks, kitchen sinks, faucets, repairing air conditioners, replacing cracked times on roof 36 feet high, bringing in 4 to 8 tons of rocks to make the yards look nice, trimming trees, repairing sprinkler systems and the piping, replacing refrigerators, stoves, washing machines clothes dryers, water heaters, painting garage floors ceilings and walls, bringing in 20-yard trash bins to remove all the carpets, trees trimmings and trash left by tenants, replacing all the window blinds, door knobs that are broken and locks for the main door and locks for the garage door so the keys match, repairing garage door openers that are broke, repairing the garage door rollers and seals, painting the trim outside the house, replacing facia boards that are 36 feet high, replacing window screens and the screens on sliding doors, replacing entire windows just because tenants broke the window locks and they cannot be repaired, replacing kitchen counter tops that are destroyed, replacing all the kitchen doors and drawers because tenants destroyer the cabinets by hanging their wet laundry in the kitchen cabinet doors to dry. replacing garbage disposers, dishwashers and the list goes on and on.

Increased demand (COVID forcing people to WFH, more disposable income, stimulus checks, historically low interest rates) and decreased supply (historically low inventory) have caused home prices to skyrocket.