Which is more cost effective/efficient. 

My go to for lowest hassles, taxes and  transaction costs are Lease Options or selling directly to the renters. 

This separation allows you to manage risks more effectively, ensuring your personal credit isn’t impacted by the ups and downs of your real estate ventures.Building business credit is more straightforward than most people think.

If this is how it works, do I ever go through the title company like I would in a normal wholesale transaction?

You can get the cashier's check and do any other banking transactions from the convenience of your home office or mobile device without ever going to the branch with any of these banks. 

I have been battling with the credit bureaus for 15 years between 2 divorces, and multiple incidents of identity theft (the untold effect of military service).

My understanding is the key is to keep separate bank accounts and financial transactions.

The gist of it is that when you dispose of your entire interest in a passive activity in a fully taxable (as opposed to a tax-deferred) transaction to a non-related party, i.e., selling a non-grouped rental property in a taxable sale to a non-related party, both current and suspended passive activity losses generated by that activity can be deducted. 

i keep seeing:1. buy out of state rental in a solid neighborhood with long-term potential (just as you are recommending) but then...2. have one rough tenant turn that costs a couple grand, and3. give up on real estate investing, and turn on everyone involved in the transaction for not guaranteeing that sweet cash flow in month 1 lol, yea there is a decent chunk of investors who get really butthurt by that one bad unit turn and just give up.

On the October 21, 2024 sale, the 1031 was started with a Qualified Intermediary that same day, so the transaction is a  transaction governed by Rev.