If its your first time, hire a consultant who is an expert in this field and who can do all the paper work and board the note for you.

You should consult a local real estate / business attorney.I believe most small investors use an LLC or their IRA to buy notes, but I was also told a few times that an S-corp would be preferable if you're the only member.Whatever you do make sure that it looks professional.

Sell it directly to the lease option person for an assignment fee or have the seller pay me some sort of consultation fee instead?

I truly thought Joe's post about consulting an attorney was a joke at first (and maybe it was), but then the more I thought about it the more I realized that yeah, I supposed if you have a tenant who isn't Christian and you send them a Christmas card, and then you have to evict them later, maybe they could claim discrimination or something based on fair housing laws.

Consult your own tax experts.

You should consult with a CPA on your options to avoid capital gains tax.

I work a 9-5 as a gov't consultant, but want to be in real estate full time.  

Currently freelance and consult with major corporations, start ups and other businesses.

There would be fees to set up and you'll want to consult your CPA about the filing requirements as they aren't simple either but you can save serious money if done right. 

I would consult with a local property management expert and/or an attorney before moving forward.