I don't know a single lawyer who would own property in their own name.

I relayed the info to him and I told him to go seek a good probate lawyer and cpa.

In my case it would have effectively been impossible to assert that the loss property was NOT QBI eligible, and yet the others are?

That does not mean you just simply pay less, it will have effect on your entire investment (longer commutes to check on things, lets buyers / renters, more days on market, lower rents, lower appreciation, etc).You will still need about 30-50k in cash to make this happen (20-25% down, repairs, closing cost and other expenses so keep that in mind.You also said "cashflow from day 1".

So, I need a contract, I assume I will do a title search, have the land surveyed, hire a lawyer (I have one through work that will do RE stuff) to deal with title transfer and filing or is that someone else?  

The biggest mistakes I have made were when I assumed I was strong enough to overcome the psychological effects of dealing with debt. 

The biggest problem with low-income rentals isn't necessarily the tenants, it's the ineptitude of the landlord in screening and effectively communicating with the tenant base. 

Any word on sub to lawyer?

I am not a lawyer and have nothing useful to say about the legal aspects of your situation.From a personal standpoint, I would assume there may have been a financial and/or time reason for her failure to complete the quit claim deed. 

or "how do I know when I've found the right lawyer?"