I can easily search company names in my state on the Florida Division of Corporations website and find out who created the entity, their address, the date they created, whether it is active or inactive, etc.

If we refinanced and had about $100K how would you recommend making a slow but steady growth plan?

There's info and Q/A's available on it through an internet search. 

This stuff get's slow tho!

Also when purchasing from auctions if you do a title search and it comes back clean is it still recommend to purchase title insurance?

That can add $80 a monthWe just closed on a house for $110k that will rent at about the same to give you some perspective (and found it right off the MLS, though it took about a year of searching.

Personal recommendations are great, but if you don't get many, I wouldn't search Google.  

They also require an appraisal(that gets paid to a third party).Other closing costs such as title search fees, recording fees, real estate taxes are costs that you would pay regardless if you acquired the home through a mortgage or HELOC.What consists of the $3500 fee?

Right now is a good time because most contractors are slowing down for the winter.

Thankfully winter will help slow that however that presents a whole diff set of challenges.