Make sure to keep your eye on the prize and do not spend too much time chasing after the next hot thing.

If you go with the partnership route1) You need to manage the money going in and out of the business bank account.2) File a partnership return and be responsible for issuing K-1's3) make distributions to you and your partner for cash flow that you receiveYou will likely spend many hours on a nice gesture.I may want to consider instead to give a christmas gift or a bonus for early completion of projects.

Do not spend any more money on wholesale courses.

@John Lasher If you are still looking to spend $20k-$30K for a coach, I would be happy to take you up on that offer :) For full disclosure,  I will share with you precisely what you can learn online/ perhaps even entirely through these BiggerPockets Forums but that doesn't address the reason why most are still unable to purchase larger assets: creditworthiness and capital relationships.

Stop hanging out with your deadbeat buddies who spend all day drinking, talking sports, and otherwise wasting away.

Your strategy takes advantage of your employment cash flow and ability to control discretionary spending.  

The owner does not want to extend the debt for 30 years.

Especially #4 about durability.Do you charge your clients a flat fee based on size/price per sqft for your services, or % of spend?  

It's not fool proof but I've weeded out a lot of people this way without spending money for marketing. 

I know it is expected that you will need to spend some money after someone moves out but I just didn't expect I was going to need to spend appx. $10k to get it rental-ready.