And does the person doing the labor get paid or only the materials paid for by the partnership?

Personally I never listen to what the seller states the income is as they are sometimes way off.

This person has 8 months remaining on their lease.

There is a big difference in how those are handled  HAHA I just saw a post and commented where the person wanted to ask if they should overpay for a home because they can get is seller financing.

What I personally do is I will hire a local Civil engineer who has done subdivisions in the jurisdiction and I will pay them up front for a detailed feasibility study.

As a neighbor, personally I don't care if someone smoke a little weed every now and then, but if they are smoking non stop 25 times a day, you might lose a good tenant over that. 

I personally recommend checking Columbus OH - lots of job growth, population growth, and major companies moving and developing here.

I was wondering if there are any recommend in-person meetups in the LA area.

When you say "we," are you speaking about your business or your personal tax returns, or does your business flow into your personal returns because you file as a sole proprietor?  

The lower barrier to entry would be excellent for my personally smaller net worth.