This benefits them that there are no monthly payment, reduce their hassle of managing payments.

@Nick Despotidis I basically wanna start with rentals possibly owner occupancy and then I would like to gain capital and repeat the process to own more.

Even if it appreciates down the line, you will have to factor in capital gains tax to see if it’s really worth it.  

(make sure your contract specifies that you get deposits and pro-rated rent when you purchase)Only thing you can consider requesting is that the tenants be put onto a new month to month lease. the benefit to this, is oral leases can only convey rent amount. this lease is created by accepting rent from the tenant every month. every other stipulation defaults to state law. this means tenant can show up tomorrow with 3 pets and you cannot do anything about it (except provide notice of lease termination) whatever you do keep the current tenants on month to month.

What are the benefits of using an agent who doesn’t shop around (assuming all things equal, obviously).

Yes in my apartment in Smyrna, Ga in the last 2-3 weeks.

The problem is that then that entity is going to have it's own gain issues selling the lot to you after purchasing it.I heard hesitation in your keyboard :) as you stated your intent with the property - "I might want to live in the first house....". 

You can gain a lot of applicable knowledge by taking the state mandated course.

And your advice definitely help us gain more confidence to do it ourselves.  

Are these companies actually gaining in popularity?