I actually had your underlying question in mind.  

in either case, does anyone have tips as to go about the actual pitch?

After 20+ years in real estate partnerships, here's what actually puts you on the IRS radar (and what doesn't):REAL Red Flags That Matter:The Partner Complaint TriggerDisgruntled partner files Form 8082K-1 disputesPartnership disputes leading to tax filingsReal Impact: Instant IRS attentionSuspicious Loss ClaimsLosses exceeding investmentArtificial basis inflationSudden large losses without economic realityExample: $100K investment claiming $500K lossesRelated Party GamesCircular property flipsBelow-market transfersFamily partnership schemes without substanceWatch Out: IRC §267 and §707(b) violationsDebt Engineering Red FlagsBasis inflation schemesArtificial guarantee arrangementsPartner debt shifts near year-endCritical: IRC §752 compliance matters!

A solid CRM like Podio or REsimpli keeps things organized.My team actually specializes in finding exactly these kinds of off-market properties.

So they used the actual rented data of these companies to compare what rentals should go for in your market.

If you're willing and able, I do recommend the "house hacking" strategy which is just a fancy name for buying a rental property and living in one of the units, because you'll get very favorable financing - an owner-occupied fixed-rate 30-year mortgage.I'd also say, analyze that property as if you won't live there and it's a pure rental, and make sure the property is still cash flow positive if there's a tenant in your unit because then you'll know if it's actually a good investment.And when you analyze it, include payment of a property manager in your #s because if you don't, and doing so would make it go cash flow negative, then you've just bought yourself a job because you literally can't step away from managing it without losing money.

What other costs are actually there that aren't coming up in my search that don't exist when simply filing for exemption?

But I think any experienced investor would agree that if you aren't doing value-add when it comes to real estate investing, you aren't actually investing.

If they actually use a reputable title company I'd do it but if not, I won't trust them.

Quote from @Jai Windish: Hey everyone,I am from Illinois and actually closer to Peoria than Champaign, but choices were limited.