It is actually a little more involved than that sounded but you should get the point.

Understand the fees involved and calculate the total cost for an entire year of management so you can compare the different managers.

It would involve putting an external staircase on the side of the house and making the second bathroom into a full bath.

Develop an extensive email list of “interested parties” and periodically contact them with “soft advertising”.4.

I'd like to stay under 400k, am I too late to the party?

I dont but doing a quiet title is not a complicated task for any decent RE BIZZ attorney. there is a title company that will insure tax deeds you can google them. its not the greatest and many lenders wont rely on it.. but u can use it to sell to another party if they are not getting a loan..

I don't use any 3rd party software. 

If you are seeking an actual private lender or direct HML (as opposed to a third party broker) for an investment property transaction (not a consumer loan), there are numerous ways to identify them... consider starting your search here: https://aaplonline.com

But from what I’ve seen the general price level of notes for sale is way too high for the risk involved.  

What did your management contract state about screening prospective tenants and your involvement?