Structuring deals: Equity in deal vs Percentage back

[Bennett Schwartz]

Hi BP,

I'm working on starting a RE company in the Philly area and have some people who are interested in investing. A big question I have is whether I should structure the deals in a way that the capital investor gets a percentage of the deal or a return on their investment. I'm sure this is more of an art than a science and some investors would prefer one over the other but i'm trying to figure out how to pitch the deals. 

My goals is to own the property in the long run, so i'm siding towards a return on investment so I can have full control in the future when I can Refi and return their investment. 

Just wondering what others have done and any insight is appreciated. 

"Stand guard at the door of your mind" -Jim Rohn