Is it customary that they have their process displayed online or in a pricing guide so I can shop around?

You can also check their reviews online at Google, Facebook, or Yelp.

Is there any online services/tools where I can do the above DIY?

You can go to a local title company to run a quick title search for about $200 or you can do it yourself if your county records are online.

Anyway, I'm thinking maybe HF has more advantage for online bidding, as they could essentially create many virtual IDs and have a large pool of fund to leverage.

The way I do it is go to the property records for the county online find the owner's info and then Google search their phone number.

I'd recommend starting to network with local REIA and joining community groups or online forums related to real estate.

Its one of the top 3 most visited areas in the country actually and has a very robust STR market.As a licensed builder, I am building to hold and building to sell. 

You can also do this online, but harder to build trust.

Even though these expenses are rather low, it's important to compare them to the advantages the LLC offers.Umbrella Insurance: An alternative to forming an LLC for asset protection is obtaining a robust umbrella insurance policy.