I'm in the same situation as OP. 

Is there anything I can do as a partner in the deal to help in this situation while still having the loan in his name? 

HELOCs are not available because they are residential loans guaranteed by individuals and what you seek is a type of commercial loan or credit line which are available to seasoned companies with proven financial track record.

China manipulates there currency and the situation to gain from such trade imbalance.

Once an LLC is in the situation, it is a whole new world. 

It depends on your financial strength, the quality of the property, how many properties you own, etc.I like to start with one significant expense and three months of vacancy.

There can always be a situation specific to you where your intent was to hold but something cause you to change that. 

If you don't want that, I would sell it or put it into storage (which may not be financially feasible), but long-term renters are hard on furniture that is not theirs. 

I would encourage the use of a warranty deed to the situation that @Steve Vaughan mentioned above.

When you can communicate both your strategy and criteria (and are financially credible), you can leverage your network and get meetings with brokers who are willing to shop for you.