What's the best practices in this. 

I think the real key is to be consistent in what you are doing and keep refining your letters/postcards, scripts, email campaigns and other marketing material. 

Granted, I agree that their sales practices are very sketchy and intimidating, but that can be the case in many industries.

Well, my real estate background consists of dorms, apartments, SFR rentals until my current primary residence. 

I would not discount that .And of course were we are at in Oregon there is no better for collecting rent.. 1 % vacancy factor.. solid tenant base leads to consistant cash flow that you can count on.

Both good advice and bad advice are buried in the remaining 80% of the overall word count, which consists of outright fiction liberally sprinkled with self-promotion.So, yeah, there is some good stuff in there.  

Is it necessary that they practice in my home state?

Mainly our deals consist of short sales, and sometimes a rare deal on the MLS.

Or if you take title on a quit-claim, you're getting whatever interest that seller had, along with any clouds on that title.Most common way is to have a traditional closing that clears title and pays off any liens, issues a title policy, and gives you true marketable title - that is only encumbered by whatever you have encumbered it with (mortgage, trust deed, UCC 1, Promissory note, etc.)If you don't / can't go through traditional title (say for example, you buy at a tax foreclosure sale), I'd say it's best practice to go through the quiet title process.  

He practically built a whole kitchen for his parents.