And they did it for years before my family bought that ranch.Many my age born in the 50s we did work in Ag in the 60s  I lived in Cupertino CA and I cut Cotts in the summer.. thats splitting apricots in half and laying them on a big wooden board to then dry naturally in the sun out doors.. hard to find REAL dried apricots these days U can still find them in Trader Joes though.. 

Given the nature of small towns, we have personal relationships with multiple members of the board which we believe positions us well for success but of course there is still uncertainty.

Without knowing the nature of your partnerships it’s tough to say specifically.

They have more skin in the game then you do.Make sure you get clear title.

They wouldn't have any skin in the game and could just walk away and leave you high and dry if things go wrong with the property.

As far as ethically that is part of my nature and I don't care for the aggressive (potentially predatory) strategies discussed by others, but I see value in offering a transparent and convenient service with lower costs and faster turnarounds than traditional MLS transactions. 

it is technically a real thing but very rare, and there is plenty of historical data out there that shows those who have less skin in the game are at a far greater risk of default by a factor of 5-7x.

For instance, things like death, divorce, job loss, natural disasters, heath issues, etc may cause you to change your plans unexpectedly and may change what you do with your home as a result.

When they ask the nature of my business, do I advise that I'm a real estate investor?

I'm particularly passionate about rental, fix-and-flip family and multi-unitsOutside of real estate, I enjoy nature photography.