So, I've been diligently networking with realtors in my sphere, but let's just say I haven't exactly landed at the top of their preferred investor list.

Yes, because Private Money infers that you are in a negotiable deal where your project can be outside the box and you can negotiate unique terms with a private individual - that - or a big box lender with strict rules and guidelines. 

They can work out that payment situation..... who is paying what/when/how... not my problem The deposit is on the property, not the individual.... its stays with the property- if the "move out person" wants their portion now, they can get it from the "stay person" and the "stay" will get the full amount at move out.

They can get a loan from the solar company, but would prefer a HELOAN or HELOC to cover the solar and consolidate.

I started the tax lien foreclosure and the owner redeemed with about 2 weeks to go.You have to look at each county individually to see;Do they sell OTC liens/certificatesIf they do sell OTC, do they sell OTC all year long or only in a special OTC auctionIn Florida, counties that offer OTC certificates, you can earn the full annual 18% (1.5% per month).

I'd much prefer to put $60K on a down payment and closing costs so I have $50K to fix it up.So a couple of questions: 1) Am I mistaken in thinking those kind of lower down payment products are out there for regular folks like us? 

I wouldn't say impossible as any individual can loan you money at the end of the day as a private lender, but most lenders won't even go to 0% with experience.

That’s what I’m talking about.. having people on the ground who know their turf and can spot trouble before it smacks you in the face.From what I’ve heard, outfits like Northwest Preferred Property Management or Umbrella Properties in Eugene aren’t just running the numbers.. they’ve seen the weird mid-season repairs and the tenant personalities you’ll never read about in a textbook.

Owning properties through LLCs in their respective states avoids the need to register a foreign LLC, which adds costs and administrative requirements.If you plan to acquire properties across multiple states, you could create a parent LLC in Florida and have individual property-specific LLCs (child LLCs) in each state.

As for the Florida property, as other s have said, its a personal preference.