Other houses for even less, are in areas without jobs, schools, public transportation, , shopping, etc.

Some of them allow doing the shopping along with other products to the clients.

What are the pros and cons of acquiring shopping centers?

"Normal" home buyers using REALTORS and shopping from the MLS for their next house aren't looking for raw land.

But if I haven't shopped the deal yet and don't have a buyer isn't it too soon to open escrow?

Here's a list of questions to ask when calling around: What You Need to Know When Shopping for a HELOC.

Rentals have provided income all these years but my mortgage is from borrowing against my home to build a machine shop, which is no longer alive. 

We can help you with the property search, acquisition, taxes, rental and all related operations as we aim to be one-stop-shop for our clients.Please dont hesitate to inquiry for more info.Best regards,Robin

I have shopped around and find that they all come pretty close to one another, even the companies that advertise much lower rates initially.

Second, I'd recommend while in your "first phase", you can take your time and shop around for a solid deal.