I assumed this would be the case because the rest of what California has to offer kind of sucks.

A syndication was way overkill because there were only 5 capital partners so they customized an operating agreement with their attorney that outlined roles and responsibilities, distributions, membership interests, etc.And you don't have to have all this stuff figured out right now; it's very customary for us to assign the contract to whatever customized entity we end up forming.Just one caveat. 

This property is ready to welcome its next owner with no repairs or updates needed.

There are almost no exceptions to this, so it's not even worth considering.

This could give you the cash you need for the purchase and also eliminate your personal guarantee for the loans.

That was an excellent non-answer to my question, Skyler. hihi :)No they are not all the same. some are only interested in dealing with conventional purchases other are as you say better at handling assignments or double closes, some are commercial specialty, etc....A investor friendly one would be, at least from my point of view, one that understands there may need to be some last minute wheeling, dealing, and adjustment made to close a deal, understand what needs to be done and do not freak out about creative deals.Maybe my understanding or thoughts are wrong but that's what I meant by investor friendlyregards :) 

Interesting: I just checked the page you provided.  

You could also get a line of credit for about $150k (you should be able to borrow 75% of the value.)The reason I suggest this is…1) you save $40-$60k in selling costs. 2) you have a lower blended interest rate (2/3rds at 3.25% and 1/3rd at 7 or 8% instead of the whole $500k at 7 or 8%) saving you another $1k/mo in interest. 3) you only pay interest on that $150k when you actually use it, not from day 1  Unless you hate this property, or want to buy something you can’t afford without selling, that would be my plan.

This issue also naturally drives up deductibles.  

I have been doing this a long time and the things that happen in my Little Rock properties still surprise me.