My thought is to help him out by going in 50-50 partnership for many reasons: half down payment, half capex expense, strong co-signer on loan, me being local to investment property to take care of little things that need attentions (he will be out of state for his job/I will have PM), etc.  1. 

I'm an investor but new to so-cal and was interested in meeting some other local investors.

I would be happy to connect you with a Investor Brokerage and Full Service property management with a local team in Houston.

I'm calling my local office tomorrow to find out.

I live in the Lancaster PA area.I am new to real estate investing and looking to connect with any local investor.

If you're focusing on rural properties, sometimes local community banks or credit unions are open to these types of deals.

Local Real Estate Investor Associations (REIA's) also are a great place to network and find a mentor or someone to walk you through getting started.

I was able to rent the garage to a seasoned electrician running his business through there only coming in and out to stock his truck once per day.I hope to be able to convert the second floor into an ADU as soon as Feb 2nd rolls around.

You are going to pay more for something new so you might take a look on the local Craigslist, FB marketplace or OfferUP and see what is out there.

While the capital raising with family and friends can be painstaking, you at least know who you are getting into business with.