If I have a JV with other investors and we need to pursue legal actions, I always involve the other investors when interviewing attorneys.

Understand the fees involved and calculate the total cost for an entire year of management so you can compare the different managers.

Needless to say, many parties are involved, and they all need to be established and verified, or your business will suffer greatly. 

I recommend reviewing your local laws to understand the requirements involved.

I was not involved in contracts, funds, etc. 

We normally do not seek judgement due to the expense that is involved, even after you win you have to continue to renew the judgement every year.We put them in collections and have it hit all three credit bureaus.

It looks like most of them have been listed for 2-3 months, so you aren't unique.Another consideration is your distance from the city. 

How much upfront costs are typically involved in a project before you know if it's a viable project to pursue? 

I read the fine print and found that the 90 day guarantee and how to get the $1,000 invested back involves actually sending him 2 qualifying deals.

From day one I treated my involvement in real estate as a real business.This means, I had an advertising budget, a lead generating and follow up process, a back end process and money source and above all an experienced mentor.