We will kick some money back to us to make it a better deal for us but also get his lump sum quicker, 

In many cases you can realise the same profit margins in a much shorter time with less work and risk with a quicker cosmetic flip.Try to cut your rehab and holding costs in half, get in and out in 1/4 the time.

I have only heard of stories where people are getting title insurance quicker than 1 year and have not actually met anyone who has done it.

What I'm looking to get into is wholesales / flipping on the residential side to produce some quicker returns.

That should motivate them to move quicker.

If you want to pick them up quicker than one a year, shoot me an email and can discuss some other options.

They are the ones who can get you paid quicker and don't "lose" your registration cards

Some closing costs are amortized, like points being pre-paid interest.You need to look at the schedules for personal property which are depreciated at a quicker schedule than RE.

Any advice on what I can do to rent these places quicker?

You'll have options like immediate refis, bridge loans, various hard and soft money loans, rehab lines of credit, more fluid cash-outs, and quicker turnarounds.