@Samson OniStessa and Baseline are good options. 

I'm sure you only intend on helping people so, this shouldn't apply to you.Home Matters USA | The Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (ca.gov) It sounds like getting pre-foreclosure deals is wrong, and it's not.Most of the time, the homeowner would appreciate u helping them to get out of the mess using this way or another when the other option is a certain foreclosure..

A home warranty can be an excellent option to protect your home investment.

Additionally, with affordability and a median home price below the national average, Cleveland stands out as an attractive option for investors seeking a promising return.

If option 3 is not your choice, how are you running your properties and what methods are you using?

Once you've been to 6-10 meetups and you only focus on building relationships without asking for a mentor, you will have plenty of options, especially if you are willing put your skills out there to help them.

I would love hearing your thoughts and experiences in how to negotiate and what are the best options to sweeten the pot in a SF deal.  

You can explore other options when you have it to increase rents.

The owner financed position is a potentially zero interest loan that should be considered.Another quick note: consider leasing his land with an option agreement as well.

This is why I say it may be limiting for you because you won't have that option.