Advice on buying a family member a house as my first investment

[Andy Lange]

Hi BP, I'm new here and was hoping to get some advice on what will be my first foray into real estate investing. I live in Los Angeles, but I'm looking to help my mom get out of her overpriced rental and into a small 100k-150k house in Oakland County, Michigan.

Should my mom and I co-borrow? Or on the slim chance she can qualify on her own should I just gift her the down payment? What should I look out for in either scenario when it comes to tax implications? Other potential issues? Should I have her sign a lease?  Ideally she would cover the mortgage/tax/insurance as her "rent" and I would help out with any maintenance costs along the way.  In maybe 5 years or so she will be fully retired, and I'd love to then get her into a condo and rent out the house.

Any guidance and advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks,

-Andy