Needless to say, it left the other couple holding the bag for their portion of the rent which nearly bankrupted them, & ruined their marriage.

My home that I currently live in is owned by my wife's father-in-law (through her mom's marriage to him).

Like a marriage, you should take the time to get to know them before you invest.  

So, all property acquired during the marriage is owned equally by both spouses.

Don't get a guru who wants thousands of dollars from you but you should be ready to spend hundreds per year on your education and networking.Concerning marriage, you become a better judge of character when you age, and you will understand not just what she wants but more importantly what you want better at a much later age (say when you are 30+ or even 35).

@Janelle Vigario, there is no “your” and “my” money in a marriage, but that’s a conversation for a different thread.

Can be by marriage "A gift can be provided by: a relative, defined as the borrower’s spouse, child, or other dependent, or by any other individual who is related to the borrower by blood, marriage, adoption, or legal guardianship; ora fiancé, fiancée, or domestic partner."

Love the passive income but ready to get more skin in the game after marriage, kids, life and 9 years "waiting" for a downturn in the market.

Their marriage is ending poorly and they agree to sell me their home in Castalia, Ohio for what is owed and not for profit because they don't want money to split between them.

A partnership is like a marriage, easy to get into, not necessarily so easy to get out of.So you want to take your time and make sure any potential partner is a good fit for you, to check them out in multiple ways (e.g. if your state has a free criminal check, check land records for judgments against them, ask people who may have done business with them - including private lenders - how they were, etc.).And you want to start slowly, with something small, so that if it goes badly you limit your loss - but still getting experience with the person.