Investing in a flip (being the money man)

[Andrew Sessions]

Hi all!   This is my first post on BP.  I am considering putting up some money for a flip.  I would just be a money man that would be a small portion of the overall deal. In exchange for my investment the "Flipper" is willing to be a mentor and show me the ropes and also give a small % return on my money.  I feel its a good deal.  My question is... What kind of paperwork should be in place to legalize the investment and I understand I should write a check to his company not him personally?  Any thoughts or comments would be great!   I know this is an investment that has risks, I just don't want to get taken advantage of.   

[Joshua Weidman]

@Andrew Sessions,

Stop! Please proceed with caution.

It's a mistake to intermingle a mentorship and an investment. Which one is this?

I mentor new investors all the time. It's very time consuming and my time is worth a lot. So I charge for that service. My clients ALWAYS know what they'll get in exchange for their money. We have a contract that clearly defines my responsibilities to them as the mentor and their responsibilities as the mentee. 

I also have private investors that fund my fix and flip projects. All transactions are managed through a licensed title agent. Contracts are signed prior to funding the loan. The contracts explicitly state the length of the loan, interest rates, equity share, and procedures in case of a default. A mortgage is then filed against the property to secure their investment. None of my investors has ever written a check directly to my company to fund a project. 

I'm sorry to interject my opinion so strongly here. This situation just sounds like a recipe for disaster.

Hold onto your money and find a local mentor who has experience (in years not months) investing in the type of real estate in which you want to be involved. Pay that person to teach you. You'll get a much better result and will save yourself a lot of frustration and angst.

Best of luck!