Sole proprietorship, LLC, partnership, corporation, s-corporation.

Yes, at the end will be a check, but my corporate motto is Real Estate Problems Solved, not Make The Most Amount Of Money On Every Deal.

We still have the loans in our name but the money runs through the LLC & we have been generating corporate tax returns that will help us when we go for financing on larger commercial loans.Hope that helps.

This may not be the strategy you were looking for but it worked for me over the last decade and allowed me to pay off a duplex, leave corporate america and invest in real estate full time.  

We both have engineering degrees and spent almost 20 years trying to work our way up the corporate ladder because we thought that was what being successful was about. 

Also, if you're able, try to find the areas where you notice the most market activity in your county/city.The criteria I use for sellers is people who have owned properties (in my target area, try to avoid sending a whole county mailing) for longer than 10-20 years (--last market sale date--) (higher equity that way), Single Family Residences (for starting out), no corporations or trusts and make sure these people do not live in the properties (there's a bubble to check for absentee owners).

Speak to an attorney with "experience" in working with venture capital, partnerships, LLC, Corporations, PPMs etc. etc.

I have a corporate credit card through my employer (fortune 100 company) and I had to back it with my personal guarantee and it shows on my credit.To establish credit for your company, you really need to build up a track record and separate yourself from it.  

I once attended a corporate meeting where the guest speaker was Rudy Giuliani and in addition to being paid for the speech, the contract called for the room in which he gave the speech to be maintained at exactly a certain temperature +/- 1 degree while he's in that banquet hall. 

I can price in the higher interest rate in my offer price.Mixed use such as what you are looking at is harder to get good debt on.The retail you would need to look at TI needed to land a tenant and required lender reserves which will vary based on the retail spaces.5 levels of retail tenants from least risky to most risky for lender underwriting purposes.Taco Bell as an example.Lease guaranteed by all corporate stores - thousands from parent companySubsidiary of corporate - ex. 300 Taco Bells in one stateLarge franchisee with track record of 15 years in biz and 100 stores etc.Small Franchisee with one to two locations and little experience and assets.Lowest is non- taco bell but just a persons starting up a taco place with no support just a name and a dream etc.Most of my clients buying strip centers into the multi millions are using non-bank debt.10 year term, 30 year amort., high 4's fixed, non-recourse loan with a first 2 years interest only option to push cash on cash another 250 to 300 basis points.