Point noted about not being able to underwrite without seeing things in person.

@Brice Alef-TorrisiHaving one checking account per property is an excellent way to keep your property finances separate from one another and your personal finances.

While Facebook Marketplace isn't the sketchiest site (craigslist), I personally would never give my ID across it.

Is there a place to find Private Investors as in one person?

Quote from @John Friendas Quote from @Patrick Roberts: If you are on the note or personally guarantee the debt, then it will affect the liability side of DTI, regardless of whether the lender reports the loan on your personal credit.

The property is insured on your behalf, personally. 

Personal guarantees are EXTREMELY common.

Would a HELOC or home equity loan on my personal home be a good idea to fund this?  

So, things change a bit.If it is his personal home, there are more restrictions.For an investment property, if you take over his financing, read through the deed of trust (mortgage) and see how they handle transfer of ownership.

It wasn’t a massive deal—our expected assignment fee was $10,000—but when you’re growing a business, every opportunity matters.Everything seemed to be moving smoothly until the title search revealed a major roadblock: the mortgage discharge couldn’t be cleared because the person who needed to sign off was deceased.