Now after the title check is this gentleman free and clear if someone later on down the line claims a stake in the title (i.e. mechanic lien of sorts)..is this were title insurance comes in? 

Did you get actual quotes/look up for taxes, insurance? 

However to combat that, Your loan in your 401k like a stable value or money market fund when you figure out your overall risk assessment, so you still don’t miss out if the market goes higher.

  $750 is insurance greed pure and simple.  

On the Real estate cycle, we are closing in on the Stage 6, Late Stable stage and will hit the peak soon.

Both of these loan programs are conventional financing, and with less than a 20% down payment, you would also receive a reduced mortgage insurance rate. 

The house rents for $850/mo, and I think I could push it to $950, give or take - but the debt payments (30-year loan at 4.75 or 5%) and taxes and insurance would take up all of that, leaving nothing for renovations.One alternative I’ve pondered would be to secure it and then seller-finance it to an owner-occupant.

I tell tenants to deposit into cozy 4-5 days before the 1st to insure timely payments.

A $680k mortgage (let's assume they had 20% down) plus taxes and insurance is going to be somewhere around $5k per month.

I included a monthly insurance of $120.