A few words of wisdom.
I would make sure you are partnering up with your friends for more reasons than they are your friends, This is a difficult endeavor you are setting out on In itself. On the flip side of the coin your risk and expenses are reduced.
I would wait to open a LLC until you have found a deal where you need one. For the most part a legal agreement will suffice starting out. My partners and I have made this mistake ourselves, once you open the company you have to keep it open and in absence of a deal that will be out of pocket.
As for finding funding for your deals, local Real estate clubs are great and BP is a good source also. In my experience the deal is more difficult to find than the funds. That's where I would focus first. Once you have a deal, you have options. Such as wholesaling or JV with another investor that brings to th table what you need.
Best of luck
