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.

As you start this new endeavor, I would highly recommend sitting down with a mortgage/financial professional to come up with a plan to help you achieve your short-term goals that will give you the proceeds and resources to pursue and achieve your long-term goals.

As you start this new endeavor, I would highly recommend sitting down with a mortgage/financial professional to come up with a plan to help you achieve your short-term goals that will give you the proceeds and resources to pursue and achieve your long-term goals.

As you start off on this new endeavor, I would HIGHLY recommend you meet with a mortgage/financial professional.  

They do have some on-line learning resources as I recall, also.Personally, I am affiliated with another REI education group and I am as BIG a proponent of "learn it before you try to do it" as anyone would be in any other field of endeavor, such as plumbing, carpentry, concrete, electrical work, culinary arts, tonsorial arts, etc.Here's how -I- measure the value of paid education: if paying whatever they're asking up front keeps you from losing 2- to 5-times or more that amount due to mistakes in a deal or structuring your business entities, was it worth it to get educated and prevent costly mistakes?...

As you start this new endeavor, I would highly recommend sitting down with a mortgage/financial professional to come up with a plan to help you achieve your short-term goals that will give you the proceeds and resources to pursue and achieve your long-term goals.

But that is coming from a rosy picture at the beginning of the endeavor, where everyone is still friendly and talking.Imagine one member wants out, or does something unethical or downright illegal.

As you start this new endeavor, I would HIGHLY recommend sitting down with a mortgage/financial professional (there's no charge) and sharing with him your short- AND long-term goals in REI.

As you start this new endeavor, I would HIGHLY recommend sitting down with a mortgage/financial professional (there's no charge) and sharing with him your short- AND long-term goals in REI.  

your definitely in a good market and whatever way you plan to go with your endeavors there are plenty of people here willing to lend a hand.