Then, I spoke with several acquisition managers with very limited knowledge on how to evaluate a deal but this time, the company they were working for was sued by multiple homeowners for fraud.

Ask your mortgage company.

Their return is better than most note companies.  

In Columbus, you can still find the 1% rule and there's amazing appreciation potential due to how much population growth, job growth, and companies moving/developing there (recently Anduril just announced another 4,000 jobs coming to Columbus Ohio on top of Intel, Google, Amazon, FB, Nationwide, Ohio State University, etc.).

One risk I could think of is - Even witb a 20 year guaranteed lease, thr company could bankrupt & may put me in a situation to look for a tenant.

I am familiar with being licensed thru nmls but never heard of any other type of certification  means nothing.. its just a private company non accredited.. 

@Chungying ChuIf you want more liability coverage, ask your insurance company if you can increase it.

I, too, went online today and found a bunch of scam warnings about the company.

Just outline expectations and roles, and what each of you guys are going to do, and how properties will be acquired and how they will be disposed of, and how and when money will be taken out of the company and you should be good.

I called every company in town to get someone out to cable or hydrojet the line.