Do you think this -- http://www.thecha.org/landlords/ -- is the best place to start for a prospective first-timer considering going this route?

It is landlord-friendly, and specific pockets have gone upwards of 2-4x in the last 5-10 years.

This could be current landlords or anyone else you have reason to think has been a cash buyer in the past.

At end of year, they true up.What I would be negotiating is both a lower monthly CAM (why give landlord an interest free loan) AND a cap on what you will pay in any given year or for what.  

(A SFR with a pool is a LOT more risky for lawsuits than remote raw land).  

I own a commercial land lot in Birmingham AL and I signed it over to a broker so he can list it and sell it.

This property was actually one I was renting and was able to purchase off market from my landlord.

my next steps I'm planning are a duplex/quadplex build on land I'm buying from family with an existing single family home already on it. 

Tired out of state landlord?

It's the easiest way to try being a landlord without dealing with tricky renovation projects.