The property was purchased outside of any legal entity (in my own name) and is the only property I purchased from the direct mail.

Create an LLC or some kind of legal entity where I can pool together funds from friends and family to make investment purchases.  

My question is how can I negotiate how much I make in commission or fees off this deal and are there certain contracts specifically used for off market properties?

They offer the "close in 7 days" deal, and get me a underwriters dissuasion before looking for having a property under contract which is the main reason why I choose them.I have a about 10% down, good credit score and low debit to income. 

Imagine having a  fund all landlords contributed to, set up by landlords, to legally process all evictions and collections.

Get a NAR contract from state your in and use that for the agreement - best place to get one is find an investor friendly agent on BP and they typically will provide one for free or a small fee

Lastly, if I want seller to take care of the liens, do I just stipulate in the contract?

This allows you to withdraw funds only when they are needed (after you have found the property or are under contract) and save on some interest.

2) When people talk about putting a house under contract, does this mean they've put an offer in with contingency, or is this some form of creative financing?

Just to be on the safe side, I would suggest you consult legal counsel to get a definitive answer regarding this, but if you'd like to read the civil code pertaining to security deposits you can do so by following the link below:http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_disp...Hope this helps and good luck!