I've co-owned the last 8 years and would on the whole recommend it if you do it with the right people and make sure you have a solid co-ownership/TIC agreement in place.Happy to help if you're interested in going this route.

Make sure they require all owners to sign at least a 2 year agreement.

@Warren Barton  What does the LLCs operating agreement say?

Hello Corby, When you say the HELOC benefits far outweigh HEL are you speaking of the HE agreement?

Google partnership agreements or go see an attorney to draw one up.

You should have signed a new rental agreement with the female. 4.

As noted above by Chris, they'll be able to help with the offer process and provide a sound purchase and sale agreement for use. 

A little goes a long way you only need 5-10% down for a New primary, 10% for a Second/Vacation home, and 15% down for an investment home even up to 4 units.The home you are planning on selling if you rent it out you can use the 12 month lease/rental agreement to offset (Wash) the mortgage payment if you take cash out so that you do not get hit on the new purchase against your DTI.

I am a sponge and will take all the good advise you would like to share regarding; avg. commission %, conditions of exclusive buyer rep agreement, your thoughts on locations, any on and off market properties you have, and possibly figure if we can build a team to make a dent in this wild real estate market we are in.

You can also negotiate the buyer's agent commission and sign a buyer-broker agreement, which ensures they represent you and assist in finding properties that meet your criteria.Best of luck!