Happy to have a conversation with you about your strategy to make sure you’re on the right track.

I had to track them down on fb and send them a message.

I want to avoid F&F but given that I don't have a track record yet, it seems F&F will be the right way to go...

Having a separate bank account in the LLC makes sense to keep track of expenses and income from business activity IMHO, and is something we generally prescribe to clients. 

What is their track record?

If you decide to go directly to the listing agent you should understand Dual Agency.

If your doing anything close to this tye property better be a 100% home run .Otherwise, we didn't do a portfolio loan until we had 5 houses and supporting tax returns and did everything cash up until then. i wouldn't do it until you have some track record before jumping into leverage and a heloc is made to use and pay off quickly.

Begin with lesser initiatives to obtain expertise and build a track record, then progressively scale them up.

There are also frequently multiple homes on the same lot or that offer dual living potential. 

I can understand a flawless track record with a limited sample size but with 8,000 investors?