I was hoping I'd find support for whether or not it would be a good idea to get hard money for a 25% down payment, traditional financing for the remaining 75%, with all profits (rent less both loan payments-HML and traditional financing, prop tax, insurance, and 10% maintenance fund) going to the hard money lender under the loan is paid off. 

Generally speaking, however, it is more financially prudent to simply have the plan hold title to the asset.

Warren Kirschbaum  wwiwith Title Trust would be my choice. 

Your title says commercial broker.

Take photos of the issues.then you find the owners on the county assessor site, and send them a personal letter and pic of the property saying you drove past and noticed this house, that you were not sure if anyone was living there but you were interested in buying the property. while you are sending out these letters you should try and find any of the following:private money, hard money, flipping partners, landlords, cash buyers, etcyou can find these people on BP, or go to a title company and ask who has been buying in that area for cash over the last couple years, you could ask your family members, etc.Now when you get calls back from the homes you drove by, you already have the exit strategies. anyway, that was a condensed version of driving for dollars so if you have any questions about that, feel free to reach out to me or anyone else here on BPAdam Adams

You don't want to make that many improvements to the house before you get the title.  

If the TIC split is reflected on the title and your partner is only selling his half of the interest you will not be subject to a gain.

@James Carpenter, along the lines of finding a "good few" as mentioned above, in addition to networking personally at the REIA meetings, I would network with investor-friendly title companies.

Make sure though that they are licensed and insured to do snow plowing and not just a "chuck in the truck" because there are a lot of those offering plowing services.

Title company / Closing agents.