There are some differences, but overall they are very similar to a typical SFR, and the scale-ability of your investing naturally comes easier.

What is the nature of the buyer-broker/lender relationship?

I love hiking, traveling, and taking pictures of nature. 

Over the past few months reflecting on this, I would never want to pay 'fair market price' on an investment property anyway - So I've been looking for alternative deals.

Those would be a no-no if you finance 3 or fewer.However, if you finance a single property in a 12-month period then you CAN have a balloon payment if the following can apply: The seller must be a natural person and can only finance the sale of a single property in any 12-month period.

I'm conservative by nature so I don't want to extend myself over my means....meaning if all else fails my "day job" income can cover all mortgages.

They operate alternately with painstaking slowness and then crazy urgency (close by the end of the week or the deal is canceled).There may also be restrictions on changing the title after closing. 

My natural skills are attention to detail, math, analytics and problem solving.

AFCI breakers are a great lifesaving device, but their sensitive nature can really dive you crazy.  

Now, when you can pay an online service $30 or so for the same credit/background screening, e-mail applications to interested parties and schedule actual showings on specific days that fit your schedule, free advertising on postlets and other sites, screening tenants is no longer worth the fees he is being asked to pay, and he should rightly be looking for alternatives.