From what I have read on the BP forums on this topic it seems as if your best bet of achieving this is going through a smaller bank and not your typical larger national banks.

Best bet is usually to find a title company that works with wholesalers as close to the subject property as possible.

@Hayden Kerns- thanks .....no guarantees on  either  property appreciation or inndex  fund returns .....I would  recommend a combination of both ....if you had to choose one or the  other to maximize growth over  a long term - the index  fund is likely  a better bet  ...this is also very ddependent  on location or the property - 

Between work related stuff, conventions, friends/family visits, pro/college sports, kids travel sports, concerts etc etc there are a billion reasons why people visit places like Sacramento and other cities that aren't your typical vacation destinations.

Both homes are waterfront properties on a boating, sporting and fishing lake in East Texas.  

I have never done a land trustWe have a living revocable trust that we set upHonestly I should have done it 15 years ago but did it like 6 years ago.I do not see the need for a land trust unless you are a politician, actor or athlete (someone who is famous).I have done business with multiple billionaires (not bragging but trying to make my point) including several that owned professional sports teams - and even they did not use land trusts…

Your best bet to finding off-market properties is to do what wholesalers do, and annoy the hell out anyone with a decrepit property or needs money now like a FSBO.

What's your risk tolerance, I bet tax lien is having way higher risk than mortgage note.

In this case since your family is the seller and knows there are no title issues, it's a pretty safe bet you wouldn't need that policy.In regards to lein position, you should have a promissory note secured by a deed of trust that gets recorded ahead of any other encumbrances and that's what keeps you in 1st position. 

However, your best bet is to pick a medium-sized population city within those states with a lot of population growth.