Welcome to BP, good luck and feel free to reach out and connect! 

Personally and professionally, I'm craving connection more than ever (it has been a long, weird 10 months and I miss our local meet ups).

Get your buy box down, remove all war zones from consideration, I personally look for 2-4 units for fixed rate debt.

I was pretty happy with it, some tenants like it as it is, some will put a big area rug down for a more plush feel in front of the TV. 

Feels like I’m starting late.

That will give you an up-close-and-personal look and give you insight into how to (and perhaps how not to) do deals.

Our counterparty has an attorney, who I believe would draft up the promissory note and personal guarantee documentation.

Networking in real estate can feel like an uphill battle.

I assume we'd start on 1099 basis at least for a while until we feel stable enough to offer employment. 

Louis doesn’t align with your investment goals, consider other viable options such as expanding your portfolio in NJ, exploring emerging markets, or diversifying into commercial real estate.Feel free to reach out for more personalized advice and to explore the best financing options for your investment strategy.