I'd like thoughts on structuring a partnering arrangement with a 2nd person who has expressed interest in working with me. 

Others had expressed interest so with earlier notice I'm hoping we can continue these every second Tuesday of the month.

See "ya'll" (Texas Expression) there!

@Morris Lucas express mail can be used to get the owner to sign.

Your time here will be well spent.Since you expressed an interest in wholesaling, I added the below links on this niche for your review, while waiting for local connections to wholesalers in your area.https://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2015/01/31/ultimate-beginners-guide-real-estate-wholesaling-2/ (Ultimate beginners guide to wholesaling)https://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2014/10/09/getting-started-real-estate-wholesaler/ (BP Podcast 091 Wholesaling)https://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2013/10/31/wholesaling-podcast-mike-nelson/ (BP Podcast 042 - wholesaling)Best of luck!

I expressed my empathy for him and advised him to take his paperwork to the utility company and talk to them in person.

Of course you can call her and text her.You can not enter the rental unit without either the tenants expressed permission to do so or having served a legal notice to enter.

But this idea is good only if it's your first expression of attention.

If a homeowner express to you that he was thinking about doing a deed in lieu rather than allow you to work the short sale and purchase the property, how would you explain to him the benefits, if any, of a short sale over a DIL?

I Googled it and got, "The loan-to-value (LTV) ratio is a financial term used by lenders to express the ratio of a loan to the value of an asset purchased."