I'm a senior analyst with a background in business intelligence and strategic planning, very strong data and technical skills, and an unmatched work ethic.

You will have buyers for life after the first set of deals.8) DON'T BE an IDIOT: Be a intelligent, fun and consistent person to work with.

The Time Frame is way too short term to really see what is going on with the Real Estate Cycle and being able to make an intelligent decision on when property and housing is Cheap or Expensive.

You should get yourself familiar with the particulars of land lording so you can talk intelligently when speaking to potential managers.  

I am obsessed with learning so I am definitely trying to take advantage of the BiggerPockets site, podcasts, books and everything they have to offer so I can connect with intelligent people that I can learn as much as possible from.

: Provide him with the loan via cash on my LLC's balance sheet, i.e. a loan receivable on my balance sheet with loan documents coming on behalf of my company and record the interest income each tax year on From 1040 Schedule C; orProvide him with a personal loan via my own personal bank account, i.e. a loan receivable directly to me (not my LLC) and loan documents that require monthly payments to me (again, not my LLC) over a pre-determined loan term / amortization schedule, and keep track of interest income as it comes in for each tax yearI totally hold harmless anyone that provides "insight" and know that I should consult with legal / accounting experts to get a binding answer, but can anyone throw me a bone with their thoughts / views on what would be most intelligent from a tax perspective?

I'm just a normal guy, I'm not super intelligent, I didn't come from a wealthy background or have a leg up in this world.

I love learning about investing, creatively solving problems (if only running practice numbers for now), and taking intelligent risks.

Intelligent money management doesn't really resonate with grunts, though. 

I assume you artificially inflate rents so that you get your desired cash flow if they pay by the 5th and then anything else is gravy?