Sometimes I struggle to articulate this to clients, and any tips would be greatly appreciated!

I've posted this before, but a GP should be able to articulate to LP's a competitive edge.

We share a number of things in common - I'm also an engineer by day, have most of my real-estate investment locally in buy/hold multi-family, and have a similar set of goals to those you articulated. 

1.Focus on a market or sub-market depending on size or ability to cover market2.Know as much as you can about the market, inventory in the market & build relationships with the owners/brokers of properties between 10-100 units.3.Clearly articulate your business plan and investment criteria to owners/brokersBuilding relationships and understanding the inventory in market will turn over the deals you are looking for.

I'm really not sure how to articulate the question differently, but I'll put my thoughts together and try again later.Thanks for the reply!

This is extremely helpful and well articulated.

Judging by your articulate posts, and your military experience, I'm betting you've done your due diligence. 

I feel comfortable at least broaching it with her now that I can articulate at least some basic risk mitigation steps. 

Not saying you don't have a plan but being able to articulate that plan to a lender, a broker or potential partners is super important especially if it is your first mult.All the best!

It's permitted and promoting your projects directly will enable you to articulate better the benefits of ground up development allowing you to build better relationships with investors who understand your MO and who ultimately can become your most reliable capital sources.