When you find someone who can help you this way and understands the lending business and most important has access to the products you need you'll be just fine.Happy hunting and I hope this helps. 

Networking seems non-productive (Bc all I hear is "I'd do that too").

I will still have access to consumer loan products etc.Go consult with an attorney and ask questions.  

But giving the owners too many options is counter productive as well, so be careful.If the current owner just wants out; he may not even consider the lease option, whereas it may be better to try purchase with no money down.Hope this helps, and I hope you have a successful future!

It sounds as if you did  much of the work yourself without knowledge of the products you were installing,  Installing something, while the process may be very easy, doesn't mean you know all that is necessary to complete a quality job.  

They are not a productive way to use our resources or the court resources.

One of the intriguing ideas it presented is called "Arbitrary Coherence" and it states that  once an initial price is set in our mind it shapes the prices we're willing to pay for not just that particular product BUT also similar products.

Remember, its not worth going to court over, a lease, just like a mortgage is the product of negotiation between two people.That being said always consult a lawyer in regards to legal advice.

Do they provide a good networking experience or just try to sell you the next guru's product?

My plan for now is to rent out property, probably starting with either a single family or multi family (probably not in the bay area).I'm currently a product designer and have worked at big tech companies, so if anyone has design/tech questions feel free to hit me up!