Assuming that's something I can do legally (again, I'm very new), I have a few questions: Will a portfolio lender loan only a portion of a property's appraised value, if I only need a portion?

An S-Corp is the prefered entity to flip from due to the ability to record a large portion of income via dividends which is taxed at a much lower rate.As Bryan stated, you can also use a single member LLC taxed as an S-Corp.If you have multiple deals going at once as I often do, simply record a lien against the properties to reduce/eliminate equity positions and help avoid legal actions attempting to get your equity.

Did you see the months of flooding rains that hit large portions of Texas this summer?

I then used a portion of the money to partner with a note investor to buy a pool of notes.

Honestly, no turnkey company seems to be able to give that, unless you put >25% downpayment, factor in your tax savings , pay the principal portion of your mortgage from that 200 and some also want you to add an appreciation factor to meet that 200 ballpark

The sediment filter catches all the big particles and keeps them out if the softener; the softener is vital for protecting your plumbing, fixtures, and water heater; the RO system is important if your tenants plan to drink the water (softened water is not all that tasty).

I just read through the article, it honestly sounds like they are charging for convenience and because they have such large capital they are allowed to suck up a good portion of the available market, would saying this be correct?

When the project is done, each of the two owners take their portion of the net income. 

The deal is more important than who it's through, although that is vital as well. 

If for some reason they move out unexpected, the housing authority still pays you their portion until the relationship is terminated.