I was terrified at closing that this would be a huge mistake!

Start small and Make Your Big Mistakes Early.

Is this a  new change or he realized that he made a mistake in the previous returns?

Perhaps the most classic beginner mistake we see in the biz is first-timers over-improving a rental property like crazy, putting in finishes that they'd like for their own home, “renovating" instead of rehabbing.

A mistake made by many is they purchase a home that has a senior exemption and after closing find out that as an absentee owner the low property tax they had vanishes.   

Also be mindful of the fact property management is generally viewed as a loss leader in the industry and many make the mistake of self managing through employees  which costs more than hiring a 3rd party firm that has scale to offer mroe back office support, technology, in-house maintenance staff etc.

I'm trying to learn from my mistakes, including being able to read a title, getting all other information (liens, loans, taxes, etc.), fully researching before I buy a property, getting a lawyer to help in future bids, title insurance, and home insurance.talked to a title insurance company they said my my title search is an abstract does that mean there might be vital info missing regards to more money i might have to pay  ?? 

You are new and you want to skip a year or 2 of frustration and mistakes in your investing learning2.

Grant Cordone still rents :)..... what about "Rich man poor man"........and I've seen quite a few "RE guru's" that claim that buying a home is huge financial mistake.... better to rent and buy money producing RE assets, etc etc....Your point is that you a should have some first hand experience doing what you are having someone else pay you to help them do..

Appraisers are human and might make mistakes.