There was not poorer performance simply because a property was structured as a TIC or wholly owned by one individual.  

I'm looking for a book that teaches actual wholesaling, start to finish.

This portfolio consists of both my own properties held by my business as well as properties under our management owned by other entities and individuals.  

When dealing with individual sellers, the most important thing is their motivation. 

I am new to real estate and would like to find someone to teach me a little.

*shrug*By contrast folks actually residing here, that are here lawfully...Teach them how to hack FICO, they do exactly what they are told.Teach them to season funds, they do exactly what they are told.Teach them (or their CPA rather) what stuff we look for on Schedule E, make sure the rent and fair rental days are accurate, get aggressive with depreciation so no one is paying extra taxes for no reason, et cetera. 

Or are they typically sold individually?

As others have mentioned, learn the fundamentals and analyze each property individually.

My girlfriend used to teach near Laveen, and it seemed to be growing.

Keep in mind that each individual property has different utility bills (due to energy efficiency, possible water leaks, square footage, number of tenants, etc)  Calling the utility company will at least give you a starting point.