On the phone he suggested doing half seller financing where he would hold the note for 15 years at ~7% interest rate.

This might be a lot of new information for you so feel free to ask if you have any questions.As has already been suggested, you might want to consult with a good real estate attorney who practices in the area where the property is located. 

Like a good deal you have to search in the weeds, meet and greet at the job site, and "sus" out the contractors abilities. 

However, I have my job and side hustle still bringing in income.

I would also suggest getting several contractors to bid the job. 

Any suggestions on getting tenants to stay longer is appreciated.

I am eager to connect with all of you and learn from your experiences and insights.I am open to any advice or suggestions you may have to offer.

I would like to hear suggestions on how to maximize the return on this?

My example of a recorded judgment lien not attaching to a trust with trustee other than yourself was a special case of outside liability protection.To get liability protection and anonymity, some attorneys suggest a combination of land trust and entity.In all my years of private lending I have only run across two borrowers that used land trusts, and neither of them were billionaires.

I think he did do a good job at his presentation and helped me to find my strategy in Real Estate Investing.