Any best practices for buying individual DOT's from banks?

It is not law, but just common practice. 

I've had brokers tell me this before (not my brokers), and while I'm not an attorney, I firmly believe there is nothing illegal about this practice and I'm perfectly happy to stand in front of a judge and argue it if it ever came to it.Here are my thoughts:-  It's not a RESPA violation.  

From a practical point of view, how did you manage to finish the "upright" edges & ends?

Maybe that would be a good practice for folks no matter where they are buying! 

I'm practically new in real state investment.

Any advice at all or suggestions on where we can begin learning investor friendly practices would be greatly appreciated. 

They are willing to practice law without a license?

Since your seller is renting the home they will have the same issues, so you're compounding your potential of legal violations causing the entire arrangement to be tainted.I'd suggest too that you dig deeper in title and the name(s) of your seller as to doing the old finance with a small down, collect payments, foreclose rinse and repeat, illegal practice now, thank God!

I am very well-versed in finance and financial modeling so this stuff is very fun for me to think about, but my only practical experience is buying my own apartment a couple of years ago.