Any tips, experiences, or best practices you can share would be greatly appreciated!

How is that good business practice?

So in practice, it might not mean a lot. 

Perform a simultaneous exchange where the sale and purchase are both scheduled and occur within a day or two of each other.The easiest way for foreign nationals to get away from the FIRPTA requirements is to purchase and hold property in domestic LLCs. 

, but it's practical. --- I'm not trying to be negative on any of the options btw, just realistic.

As you get further away from standard real estate practice, the risk is increased by a “legal” risk that your protection may be interpreted quite differently than you expect by a court and that the subtleties of the protection a mortgage or trust deed document provide with established law and court decisions handed down for (in the U.S.) 250+ years is not existent. 

Are you working for a firm in southern California or do you have your own practice?  

Ensure all your screening practices comply with Fair Housing Laws and other legal guidelines to avoid potential legal issues.Improving your tenant verification process can help you find more reliable tenants and protect your investment.

My take is that predatory practices and threats must be controlled, and housing quality must be enforced.

One cannot simultaneously get the highest price for the seller and the lowest price for the buyer in the same transaction.