I didn't really know about so many different methods of investments that exist out there....  

There's a lot of discussion around partnerships, private lending, and hard money, but I don't see much discussion on the actual mechanics - what these arrangements look like in practice.My hope is this post can serve as a reference for those starting out, so we may get a better understanding of how these strategies are actually implemented as well as an ability to more accurately predict the profits and returns you and your lenders and partners can expect.If those with more experience would like to revise these numbers and statements, it would be most appreciated.These scenarios assume you, the flipper, are bringing none of your own capital to the deal.Typically, this would mean 1 of 2 scenarios...Private Lending - Someone you know brings 100% of project costs (purchase, rehab, acquisition costs, holding costs) to complete the deal and in return, they get a certain percentage return which comes out of your profit.Hard Money + Partnership - You get a hard money lender to cover 80-90% of purchase+rehab and a partner to cover the remaining 10-20% as well as acquisition costs (including hard money origination and points) and holding costs (including hard money interest payments).An aside about the structuring...Private Lending - A promissory note is created, and your private lender lends to you or your business. 

However, My guess is that there is probably a way to make it work through some restructuring or a ground lease structure to a new entity (given the leasing rules under the recent set of proposed regulations).

the depreciable basis left can be applied against the structure of the first rental. 

It sounds from your description that it is.However, because you also do personal activities in the room (play games on your desktop), it doesn't sound like this would pass the "exclusive use" rule.Playing the games on your laptop in a different room would likely qualify the room as "exclusive use" as a home office.Also note that in the future if you take this deduction, there is a simplified method you can use to reduce the records you have to keep - just multiply the square footage of the office by $5 (if it is under 300 total square feet).

Proper techniques and caution needs to be applied to this specific method.  

I am currently under contract for a property and working through the inspection phase.Does anyone know of a good structural engineer in the Kansas City area that could take a look at the foundation? 

This means that you could qualify with one method without qualifying for the other. 

Or they could set up an entity structure to own the property like an LLC that they each own membership interests in.  

Then, once each rental is done this way and applied to income or debt, they are going calculate your DTI and qualify or deny you based on the DTI requirements of that particular loan program (28%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 60+% back in 2005, whatever).The above underwriting method is know as "washing" the debt of each rental property with its income.Another way that they do it is they simply take the PITI of each property straight to the debt, and the rental income from each property straight to the income (usually also reduced to 75%); rather than washing it first.It is advantageous to the borrower's qualifications to "wash" the PITI with the rental income and then apply the remainder, whether positive or negative, to income or debt.