It also serves as a great example of what I tell my college age daughters - email/text is a very hard place to have serious conversations without at least one person getting rubbed the wrong way by what can be inadvertent phrasing by the other party. 

CA's Secretary of State forms list the name and address of either a manager or member, so unless you're hiring a third party to serve as manager of your LLC, anonymity is very hard to achieve once filing publicly in CA.As to the probate part, you're right that going through a court probate is a huge hassle, including being expensive and time consuming. 

Doesn't even show up for court when I served him.

i invest via 50/50 partnerships. i find/coordinate/manage the deal, and my partner brings the capital to the deal & approves large expenses. on their end, it's just about as hands-off as investing in a syndication, but they get to be one of just two main 50/50 decision-makers. and when there are just two parties involved in a deal like this, vs it being diluted across tons of investors, i find it's also possible for the capital partner to see much higher returns. when it comes to teaming up in real estate i'm much more relationship-based and less transactional. i'd rather do fewer very high-quality, carefully selected deals, each with just one capital partner, so that i can really serve that person's best interests and get us amazing results, vs. doing a bunch of diluted deals. i also feel a lot of syndicators out there are newer to the game, lack experience, haven't used their own money enough, and don't use their investors' dollars with enough caution. it gives the high quality syndicators a bad name.

Zoning, insurance and the Fire Marshall are areas of MTR where it is much better to ask permission than forgiveness.With that said, PadSplit should have someone who can guide you in what is allowed in the area if they serve it.

I am of the opinion that you'd be better served using that money toward the down payment on a property.

@Lorenzo L There are many reasons that investors buy properties like this. 

I have started the process to sue for rent ( waiting sammons to be served via certified mail, Sheriff office is backed up).

I served 21 years, retired in 2008.

@Nicholas L.