It's also extremely low maintenance, so I barely have to think about it.

It's extremely helpful hearing the experiences of others.

My options for fixing this were extremely limited, almost non existant.

I did a lot of homework on them and met with them several times before pulling the trigger. 

Considering you can get 8% on average in the stock market and it takes no work and is extremely liquid, the extra 2% is not compelling enough to switch to real estate.I assume you are talking owning a property outright.  

The only benefit in this instance, as an investment partner in a JV, or member in a multi-member LLC, is it's an act of "good faith" on my part in the agreement, being extremely transparent about the project's costs for the construction company, and the specific amount the partner/member invoices as profit or salary attributed to construction services on the specific project (I differentiate profit from salary, as it depends on the size of your construction company, a smaller company the profit may be the salary etc). 

That felt extreme to us, especially since our money was literally going into the ether each month.

That triggered us having to pay transfer taxes, as the state treats an LLC as a disregarded entity, even if it contains the same members.Most of our clients invest using an LLC as their preferred corporate structure.

If you're going run of the mill with a 1400 mortgage on a 2 or 3 bedroom, you'll find extreme competition and most likely won't get booked.

It's extreme hit or miss.