However, if your main motive is protection, you may be able to just obtain an umbrella insurance policy as an alternative.

Alternatively, maybe you and a friend can buy it together, less upside for you but also less risk and probably more buying power in the beginning. 

For the money that my wife and I have spent in the past two months, I could have bought a brand new truck, or bought a the camper that we have wanted for a long time.  

The rent to own option may be a good alternative though

When analyzing the returns, we notice that the cost of the LLC ate up into the properties returns.As an alternative to an LLC, we are contemplating on creating a partnership between the three of us and having the three of us have equal ownership of the property.

The remainder of the dirt had to be loaded on a truck an hauled away.

Not bad, considering the same truck on local lots would have been up for $ 23,000.

Any thoughts for alternatives?

If you decide managing properties yourself isn't something you're comfortable with, I would look into this.Also, each situation is different and this may not apply to yours, but there are eviction alternatives, such as "cash for keys".

I read every article I could find made a page and started searching alternative methods of funding.