It is .2 miles south of E.

This sounds like a pretty straightforward issue to me -- it seems like this will functionally be an "interfamily transfer" due to the relationship between your brother and your grandmother.   

Wanting to buy a home and assume responsibility for the lien - how can we transfer it from the seller to the buyer (me)? 

Lastly, how should I handle property transfers?

Think E*Trade but with different paperwork so as to be able to document the individual transactions that occur off-exchange in alternative assets like real estate.  

I can't seem to figure out the transfer tax when recording a Quit-claim deed.

We've already got new tenants with a lease e-signed and deposit collected for the fall.

Since the LLCs are disregarded, they dont even explicitly appear on tax returns on Sch E.

(Even if you form an LLC and transfer the real property to the LLC, you will remain liable for your conduct).Rule Number 4.

Especially if you are doing larger projects where there is more likely for something to go "bad," you don't want one lawsuit in 'Project A' to affect any of your other projects especially when you might have different investor / limited partners for your projects.The general concensus is NOT to use C Corp for and any long term holds because of the double taxation (and I think there was something else about if you were to transfer the property...).