My nightmare is with the lender (who was supposed to be an individual investor) but found out after the fact (partners didn't share information.)

HELOCs are not available because they are residential loans guaranteed by individuals and what you seek is a type of commercial loan or credit line which are available to seasoned companies with proven financial track record.

We're willing to live almost anywhere in the greater Sacramento area based on what we can afford, provided of course that the property is in a decent neighborhood that has a good chance of attracting responsible tenants.As for budget, I believe we could get a conventional loan for properties up to $600k, but my strong preference is to find a distressed property (or seller!)

It separates your personal assets from your business, providing a safeguard if any legal issues arise related to tenants or the property.

Very unlikely unless you find a private lender/individual to do this as a one-off. 

I have a template that I provide and they can either complete the template or just give me their documents and I'll complete the template before prepping the taxes.Self Managed, High Volume, Very Organized - these folks keep up on their activity. 

Also consider networking with investors active in those areas who can provide insight on what’s working.

Even if one has to provide the education to some of the parties as to why a particular creative solution makes a win-win-win for all. 

If you are in the CLT area and are looking to connect with othr like-minded individuals, I would love to grab a coffee with you!

Partner Driven provided 100% of the funding, covering the $160,000 purchase price.