Quote from @Eva Sha: I have a background in architectural design and would like to get into commercial real estate investing, but I don’t know where to start.

However, you must give both a 5 and 14 day notice (concurrently) which must be properly served, and it gets more technical from there. 

You’re going to get a range of responses and it’s not that number that should matter to you, but the background behind it.

We are considering becoming a private lender with them and I am doing some background research on him and his companies and wondering if anyone has done any deals with them.

Technically, Conventional allows 15% down but you end up incurring a hefty hit to your rate/points options when you put down less than 20%, which makes causes most people opt to put 20% down.

Then, if you decide to explore a mentoring program, you will have the background knowledge to actually evaluate it and make an informed decision, and you'll be able to speak the language and ask intelligent questions.

My prior background was in nursing.  

As far as checking your accountant's technical competence, you can use this old but still applicable questionnaire:https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/51/topics/792277-how-to...Other questions that you may want to ask are listed in this post:https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/51/topics/795929-questi...3.

Quote from @Levi Perl: The purpose of background screening is to determine a level of risk, and then you decide if you can mitigate that risk.How does a DUI conviction from three years ago impact the tenant's ability to pay rent or maintain the property?

Can I refinance on a property that is not technically in my own name yet?