So, essentially through the lender I had lined up, they would cover literally 100% of the costs of EVERYTHING, but it was a cheap house with low renovation costs, so the interest payments were not going to be any larger than a typical mortgage payment around here.

You wouldn't be able to "add" a property since they are already under one mortgage note. 

Are you losing money on a monthly basis (cashflow) or are you upside down on your mortgage?

To find places with high rental demand, good economic circumstances, and room to develop, conduct in-depth market research.Examine your alternatives for financing, including conventional mortgages, private lenders, FHA, VA, and partnership loans.

Having said that, I am getting much better at analyzing properties on my own and have a specific set of criteria a property MUST meet and perform enough due-diligence research that the chance of missing major red flags are getting smaller and smaller.And yes, as the overwhelming majority of foreclosures are either cancelled or "purchased" by the plaintiff (bank) and the limited inventory (at least in Hillsborough County) is often bid-up by neophytes or snatched up by large wholesalers and other REI firms that specialize in flipping C-class properties, there are few opportunities for us little fish.To keep myself motivated, I've been keeping a log of properties that went to third-party bidders (i.e. private buyers) which I could have bought had I been monitoring the auctions during periods when I was too busy to do so.

I commented on another post recently where the website says "secured mortgages" which is what the sponsor invests in, but when you read the fine print your investment is unsecured.

Traditional investment mortgage.

Is there a way for  TIC to accommodate this requirement so I avoid the mortgage boot?

For a 1031 exchange which is only available for investment property  you must purchase at least as much as your net sale (contract price minus closing costs) and use all of the net cash to do that (net sale minus mortgage payoff). 

To be prequalified you are probably looking at a $400-$500k mortgage