If one is transferring property title from personal name, a Grant/Warranty Deed would be drafted/recorded to transfer title. 

@William Taylor so many options...Use your RE knowledge to: WholesaleFind rental deals to sell to investors locally or here on BPStart leveraging your personal contacts to build your sales businessFind a motivated seller willing to do seller financing:- Move in worst room or basement, rent out all the other rooms for max cashflow- You could even live in the basement and STR the rest of the house

Signing the lease demonstrates they agree to the terms and then you can hold them accountable.If you don't do this, then the person named on the lease and paying the rent could disappear and you would have no legal authority to charge the remaining three for unpaid rent.

I’m personally based in Houston, TX, and I’ve noticed over the years that a good realtor can do a lot more for an investor than just listing a property.

This could give you the cash you need for the purchase and also eliminate your personal guarantee for the loans.

Personally, I bought a 3 bed single family home soon after starting my job and had two friends from college rent which covered my mortgage plus a little extra.

In your experience what are some ways I can understand the intent of the person who said they're interested in buying? 

If you are just a plain person they usually must serve you in person. 

For in person connections try some local real estate meetup groups.

The key is to identify personal property from real property.