I would like to at  look at opportunities in the small tier commercial (under 1 million dollar) category to see what's out there.

I do not think this topic has been discussed here on BP so let me throw it out there - lets talk about finding the buried bodies. 

What resources / vendors exist out there for this?

There is not a software I am aware of that breaks down the annual to monthly.

Don't sell yourself short, many have done more with less and what's important is that you're open to putting yourself out there to keep learning. 

There are a lot better options out there.  

So I would like to get ideas and thoughts here who has bought property with tenants already in there?

I am sure some other BPers can chime in on this.Aside from potential owner occupancy requirements (FHA), there shouldn't be any legal issues in a lease and option scenario. 

If they say no, we ask why, and occasionally, we can sway them if there had been a misunderstanding—for example, a lingering maintenance issue that hasn’t been addressed and they didn’t bother to call about.We don’t have time for a deep dive on lease renewals, but it’s definitely worth picking up a copy of Jeffrey Taylor’s The Landlord’s Survival Guide, which has all sorts of tips on getting tenants to renew.

And I think there’s a lot of wisdom in that.