However, I have also come across the author of Lifeonaire Shaun McCloskey who advocates to debt free investing with joint ventures.

Congratulations on your venture as well. :)

I have never flipped a property but will like to venture out that route, I am just not clear on how the cash offer is structured as far as who makes the offer?

A hard money lender is a private lending company that charges points and may get their funds from investors.”Nevertheless, the lending companies which many real estate investors refer to as “hard money lenders” will frequently refer to themselves as a “private lender” or a “private money lender.”Several private lending companies I deal with do not like to be associated with the term “hard money” because they feel it has a bad connotation and makes them seem unethical or having extremely high pricing.But here are some of the benefits of doing business with a private lending company instead of an individual: More Qualified, More Consistent, never runs out of money, Reputation, Legal Compliance, Easy to Find, Better Pricing.There are some benefits to borrowing from an individual investor: May offer higher leverage, may consider a joint venture or equity position, several don’t charge points (origination fees).

Before moving into the townhome we did some DIY improvements.

(Very long and winding  story, but I was in then out after a failed family venture.)Currently I use it to still get referrals from my friends & families, but also use it for access to properties, and add some legitimacy to my discussions with brokers and owners. 

I am planning to sell a contiguous group of commercial properties consisting of retail, office, residential and land in an urban setting. All the properties are zoned C1/C3. It's a small--current value is $2.5-ish. It...

(So 20% down and $10k of mostly DIY improvements.)I will do BRRRR with my one and only duplex, then buy and move into another house in 2023.

My experiences have been similar to @Brian Pulaski and @Julie Nearing in the Connecticut market and the $1.50-$1.75 per square foot is at a price point where I do not think it makes much sense to DIY.

I know water bills tend to be minor, but I’ve seen more foolish things for people to argue about.Additionally, you mentioned you own a 3 storeretail strip, so far in your experience has a commercial rental been a worth while venture?