I hear of people partnering up with others to buy properties but I just wonder how can they really trust somoene they met a few weeks ago through a networking event.For the most part you could use the following methods1) Look for an internet presence: If you find a good internet presence, it means this person has taken the time and effort to create a reputation online, which means they are more likely to be genuine than others.2) Know what you are doing and ask lots of questions: Before jumping into any kind of investments, I often read several books to educate myself.

or is there a way i can vet this gentleman so i know he is genuine and move forward?

He is knowledgeable and generous and genuinely loves to teach and help people.  

I can’t stress enough that this must be completely genuine and not trying to just give them a sales pitch or anything to get people on the phone, you are trying to “make friends” and learn with people in that industry.

(BTW, if you genuinely can only think of 2 reasonable options no matter how hard you try, PLEASE stay in college until you can come up with at least 6-8 realistic, do-able options.

You want someone who's genuinely knowledgeable, not just using the typical methods you'd find at H&R Block.

That's an example of creative financing, using existing assets to transform a deal.So, to get into any creative issues with you, you'd need to provide alot of information about the parties involved, and I suggest you not do that in any forum, BTW!

Find someone in your market here on BP or elsewhere, reach out, show genuine interest and just ask if there's anything they need done and if you could shadow them on a deal.

Intel is a great example, who is building the largest chip manufacturing plant in the US right here, and it will be a $20 billion dollar investment that brings a few new thousand jobs.https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2022/01/21/intel-ohio-building-computer-chip-factories-licking-county-jersey-township/9173472002/ Another example of economic growth is the upcoming Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Inpatient Hospital which is a 1.9million square foot hospital that will bring over 800 new beds and a thousand new jobs. https://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/new-osu-hospital-expected-to-transform-health-careHere are a few more recent investments https://www.10tv.com/article/money/business/hydrogen-power-company-hyperion-bringing-700-jobs-to-columbus/530-25907aab-5517-4661-a9f3-d2ed2d5be6b0 https://news.wosu.org/news/2022-02-08/rumpke-to-build-50-million-recycling-facility-in-columbus Check out The Complete Guide to the Columbus, Ohio Real Estate Market which goes through the Columbus, Ohio market in depth and will give you a better scope of where the highest levels of growth are taking place and where to look to invest.

As a bonus, if I improve the property values of a neighborhood it helps to transform the community.