Found an awesome deal on Craigslist and it allowed me to get my foot in the door with an investor (owner of the property I arbitraged.)

Fractional TICs give owners the financial independence that has been associated with condos, without the need to wait for a condo conversion, a process which can take anywhere from 2 to 10 years depending on the specific requirements for the subject property.

(An owner occupant.)

Ask to speak with some of their current owners and current/former tenants.

Try using search keywords "seller financing" or "owner financing" in Realtor.com in your area... 

Would that be, for example, if the PM says, "I manage a duplex for John Smith in Turlock," then I call John as a reference, ask John a few questions, and then ask John the address of his duplex so I can later look it up on the county website and verify if he is the owner?

Yes, as S-Corp owners receiving W-2 wages, employee deferrals to a Solo 401(k) are subject to FICA taxes (Social Security & Medicare).

On my street, only about half of the homes are rebuilt, and about half of those are occupied by the pre-fire owners. 

What percentage of gross revenue does an owner typically keep if they do employ a property manager?

Preforeclosure owner finance wrap, paid off the default payments and taxes with cash and assumed the owners loan.