Your professional opinion would be very much appreciated :)Meg~  Meg,I do not use Mojo for skip tracing, but they are great as a CRM and power dialer. 

@Alex Clark you don't have to be there to buy - can either sign remotely or they overnight package to you to take to notary to sign and send back.Selling - you can give someone power of attorney.As others have posted, there's a lot of risk investing OOS. 

What I'd really like is to use the money as a downpayment to gain the power of leverage, but as I understand it I can't, and I can't loan it to my LLC. 

Once my partner saw the power of depreciation she was pretty much hooked. 

Evictions are quick and easy (just a few weeks, faster than most states), judges have always been 100% on my side, sheriffs conduct the move-out quickly with no fuss, there’s no notice required for owners to inspect or enter the property if they want to (I usually still try to give some notice out of courtesy, but it’s nice that I’m not required to), rent control was prohibited entirely across the state in 1981 (recent efforts to overturn that have failed), HOAs don’t have much power here (max fine is $500 for non health and safety violations, they have to give ample notice before any fines, can’t foreclose over late fees or fines, etc.).

I'm a software engineer diving into the real estate world, currently working as a software engineer at a real estate company (just a coincidence), in my position as a software engineer I'm doing a lot of cool AI stuff, that gives me the ability to build and create tools for myself to find deals (maybe will share about it later).Currently, I've got one property in Toledo, Ohio, that's currently rented, and I just bought a new one in Cleveland.I'm here to soak up knowledge, connect with folks from all corners of the globe, and share what I can.

The amount of power and money you'd give up isn't worth whatever expertise you'd gain from a partner.

Yes, you both will be on the loan and it would increase your buying power.

The other unit had the water on but not power.

As you investigate your options in real estate, keep the following tips and ideas in mind:Determine Your Real Estate ObjectivesMake Use of Your Construction SkillsExamine Various ApproachesMaintain Your Mentorship LearningThink about short-term rentals and AirbnbCreate a Network and Look Into Local Real Estate MarketsSpread Out Your Investments Financial PlanningRemain FlexibleRemember, your hunger for learning and willingness to think outside the box are powerful assets in real estate.