It's the same reason that Subway would choose to lease the space rather than buy their own building - lack of capital (or better use for capital).  

You are in Ohio and there are plenty of TK operators in your area so you could start there if that is where you choose to invest. 

So if you are looking at 2 bed units and the area goes for 800- 1,000 a unit you do not want to be at that 1,000.

I live in LA,CA and feel $20k is not enough for most REI stategies but I'm not sure, which is the reason for this post.I would love to get the most return that $20k would allow.I am open to all suggestions and will do my research on which ever method I choose before jumping into it.Thanks in advance.

Say to yourself everyday that you will never have enough knowledge and you want to be so good that everyone seeks you out and you can pick and choose who you want to work with. 

So which ever title company you choose will already have a closing agent.

The house has 3 bed 2.5 bath, 2300 square feet, brand new roof and new a/c unit(2 years old).  

It's not the best looking property in a lakes community, has high taxes, long commutes, no lake frontage and is a small 3 bed/1 bath house that lacks in curb appeal due to the slope of the land and how the house sits. 

My solution was to let my tenant choose the provider, install a system,and pay for it themselves.

There were different option styles to choose from.