Our rates are 7-12%, with no down payment required.

I heard about bigger pockets from a friend of mine that has successfully built and rented multiple properties in our area. 

We are about to put in $15-$20k of our own money into it, beyond what insurance covered and I need help deciding how we should finance it. 

We've seen this soooo many times in our Detroit market:(Have actually had owners choose not to do business with us because their previous PMC didn't require it - so, they thought we were the incompetent ones.Have also seen incompetent PMCs wiring funds internationally to owners - and these owners not having an ITIN, EIN or SSN!

Check on sites like BiggerPockets, Meetup, and Eventbrite. 

Should we rather buy under our name and then transfer to LLC?

I recently did one where the lender did allow it but that was because of our position as a great customer of the bank and our impeccable credit record.  

As GPs, we owe it to our partners and stakeholders to keep communication clear, honest, and consistent.

We're currently renting downtown and looking to get started as first-time home buyers in an owner-occupied duplex situation to start our path in rei. 

@Joshua ChristensenThey were part of our community briefly.