This is more than just a few year commitment this is a commitment for the rest of your life, hence whole life.

I think the most important thing you can do now is to pick one and commit to it.

When a tenant refuses to respond to any means of communication, that indicates they're trying to hide something and I'm right almost every time.What red flags do you watch for with existing renters?

Contact information for existing/previous property management company.Purchase Agreement Clauses for Buying Tenant-Occupied RentalIf you’re considering buying a tenant occupied rental property, there are some documents you want to acquire for review prior to the closing.

So you still need that day job to keep buying, or to actually refinance your existing properties.

There seems to be less profit in small properties as they require a lot of capital and time commitments.

I'm just exploring what possibilities might exist at this point.  

More importantly, how did the existing lender get away with it?

You will be making a commitment to be responsible for potentially $100k or more over the 10-30 years. 

., capital committed by investors that has not been invested) that is just sitting there, waiting, looking to pounce on a decent deal.