I don't want to step on your toes in your market, but I'm interested in learning more about how you found these properties (on/off market) and what types of neighborhoods and tenants you secured.

There are certain fixed costs when do closings and a loan so the smaller in price a property it is the higher your closing costs as a percentage of the sale.Usually a 24,000 property is in a poverty type area with increased crime and increased risk to the HML's capital.Loaning out for instance 80K on a high quality area for a rehab when the purchase is 60% LTV for a resale into the mid 100's makes for better security for a lender.Going to friends for a partnership or family for the money but if you are buying a property worth only 30k I do not see much of an upside for an investor or a lender. 

Another loan is a bridge loan that uses equity in your existing home to buy the new home, they can also take a security interest in both properties, when the old home sells that amount secured is applied to the loan.No lender is going to want to provide a new loan with the expectations of a long term loan arrangement on a property that is being sold.

If they are giving you a signature loan and then you lend it secured by RE, that might be a great way to make some money.

Typically, the entity that is created for the deal will own 100% fee title to the property subject to any assumed or originated secured debt.  

I'm really just looking to maximize return here.I have a very comfortable savings/investment balance of $100k+, so secure financially.I am not handy and not looking to "buy a job."

I am calling all my local banks, I have a close to perfect credit score and other debt free real assets to use as security.

If the tenant paid the previous owner any security deposits, they would need to be transferred to you, as you will be held accountable for them whether they were transferred to you or not.

In my property that essentially has tree logs holding it up, there was later added some bracketing to secure the vertical log to the horizontal beam.

Definition I found online - A due-on-sale clause is a clause in a loan or promissory note that stipulates that the full balance of the loan may be called due (repaid in full) upon sale or transfer of ownership of the property used to secure the note.