Let’s do it if you still have this offer on the table. 

Eric, your background as a local firefighter at JBLM adds a unique angle to real estate investing.Dave Meyer's strategy book seems valuable, and it's wise to choose your focus area thoughtfully, especially in a competitive market like Seattle/Tacoma.Welcome aboard and best of luck investing!

Financing for mixed use is a bit more unique & specialized.

-Add Decorative Elements: Small touches like a charming birdhouse, a unique garden sculpture, or a stylish outdoor rug can add personality and charm to your home's exterior.

Simplifying the processes, laws and regulations into a few basic scenarios when in reality each state has a wildly different set of rules, laws and procedures and each county and often municipality has their unique set of procedures within the state3.

That’s telling him to leave money on the table.

The oversized garage and tiny cabin made this a very unique property - too small of a living space for most buyers; too much garage build out for the market.

I think the easiest way to find the right partner is to find one that you are aligned with as far as investing in rental properties.The other option would be to keep flipping properties until you get enough money for a down payment on a rental.Another option would be to look for a BRRRR (buy, rehab, rent, refi, repeat) because then your friend could still bring money to the table and you could pay them back their portion plus interest and then you keep the rental property.What area of Chicago did you do your flip in?

Quote from @Selina Giarla:All this being said...I CANNOT find a good deal.The proper translation of “I cannot find a good deal” is “I cannot find people stupid enough to leave money on the table.”The proper response to that is: “Why should they?”

But when we get to the closing table we usually have a pretty good idea about what we're going to have to spend to bring the property up to our standards and how much it's going to cost us to do it and over what time periord.