By working backwards, you are establishing each class schedule based on what is needed to move forward. 

We are looking to buy an established business with a system in place.

If you hired an agent or a broker to work with you, you'd be covered - but regulations & laws vary from place to place.Screening is best done by establishing a set of guidelines to qualify applicant tenants, then sticking to those rules to avoid legal issues (and for your own sanity).

Established on line presence5.

How are established investors finding deals? 

My concern is that without that amount of personal income available I would have difficulty establishing a sufficient amount of reserves for emergencies.

Look, I think of it this simple, I don't know a single established millionaire who does the "standard" consumer debt thing.

If your partner is a contractor and wants to keep busy, that could be a different story, but I at least consider looking at long term ownership plans and flipping as very different businesses and a lot to learn on both, so not sure I'd risk losing money and time dealing with flips. 

If there is no agreement signed and this person is just someone listed from the broker's database, I do not believe it is acceptable for the broker to collect a split in addition to the house split.If you are to consider negotiating this additional split, there is a lot to take into account here... what is the % of business that you generate on your own vs. how much your broker contributes?

For the typical wholesale the steps are really just fine a deal through marketing, have them sign a wholesale contract, have an established buyers list and send it to them, get a buyer to sign an assignment of contract agreement, and when you close you get paid out your fee from the title company.