I never saw the unpaid rent (and knew that I wouldn't). 

I am new to Real Estate investing and unsure of where to look for buyers and investors.

Together, the property nets us roughly $1,400/month after expenses.Equity Split: My partner owns 60%, and I own 40%.I'm exploring ways to take out my equity without disrupting this deal, as I feel this isn't the best financial decision for me right now.

I would recommend that you get out to local meetup events, as that is where you will make the really deep connections to help you get rolling. 

I ran into the same issue.

Feel free to DM me if you need a few referrals. 

I have  heard through bigger pockets podcasts that NC has merit.

Yea...I did the same at 48 in 2012 and boy does it feel good.

Quote from @Ashley Mierez: Going into the new year my goal is make sure Im hitting all the points of a good deal so my investors wont have to think twice when I send something to them.

And I feel the ideal portfolio can benefit from the diversification of both.I feel directly owned properties are great because they give me maximum control and the ability to tweak them exactly how I want.