Sounds like a bad situation.

Is there anything I can do as a partner in the deal to help in this situation while still having the loan in his name? 

Those tend to be the neighborhoods that are gentrifying.Unique stuff to Pittsburgh I would say is don't go based on zip codes since one zip code can be composed of multiple different areas/neighborhoods.

I recommend talking with an experienced broker who can help you shop multiple lenders  

I'm currently flipping properties in my backyard (SoCal) and have the liquidity to fund multiple projects.

Would love to connect with local RE agents and have an idea of the market situation in SA.

And amplify your deployable capital by significant multiples. 

Not knowing your situation, you may or may not benefit from a cost segregation study. 

There are sometimes fees associated as well but they seem minimal and scale well since one line of credit can purchase multiple assets.Interested if anyone else is using this lending strategy and what your experiences/recommendations are.

Knowing my situation, if my wife and I were doing something like this, I'd be OK with buying something sooner and cheaper, but my wife would prefer to wait a little longer to save more to buy something nicer.