Multiple people including myself have tried to caution him of the the true costs but he's been repeatedly dismissive and has made it clear we give him motivation and he wants to prove us all wrong (whatever that means). 

Flat rate vet's the snot out of people to assure QUALITY.

.#2  MINDSET:  Just like some people will NEVER become real estate investors regardless of time, money, related profession, - MOST people will never become real estate investors.   

I've also held of holding properties in individual LLCs that are owned by one S corporation, which allows for a 60 / 40 split between ordinary income (regular tax) and dividends (capital gains tax rate).With the goal of minimizing taxation and liability protection, what would be the recommendation from more experienced people here?

DM me if you would like to have a conversation and I can guide you to people I know in the community that could help.

We have a member round table discussion on Fridays at 9 am cst.And we have a calendar of events with events from area landlord groups and member meetups.While we are still on zoom we do try to find ways to still be able to connect and talk with each other so our events are not all just another webinar with people talking at you.Hope to connect.

To me the only thing that is working now is partnering with people who have their own salaried teams.  

It puts you in a position to learn the market, build connections, and spot deals before most people even know they exist.

Then came Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People.

Pointing out the BS that people try to peddle.