I spoke with a consultant who works with/for Jason Hartman and she referred me over to https://www.mmasells.com/, has anyone worked with them? We are looking at AL, TN or FL as potential first time investment properti...

With that said, these are excellent products and ones that will be of great benefit in building your real estate portfolio. 

If it is im not even sure a city will allow you to get a building permit on someone elses land.

Or are you going after 40 unit mom and pop buildings?

My CoC return in STL is 10% now that the buildings have stabilized, it seems like the buildings are appreciating at an acceptable rate, and I have a team that I trust there (realtor, PM, contractor, lender). 

The upside:  There is a lot of money to be made, potentially, and every door you add to your portfolio builds your company's value bigger and bigger (vs. sales, where it's a transaction and then it's over).

Differences include liability protection based on how they build their eQRP's for their customers as well as # of employees they can hire. 

Original to the building?

I am going to build a house on it with cash and live in it.

Learn your market inside and out and build a team of people around you who can help you analyze deals and make moves.