DISCLAIMER: Not a lawyer, just some dolt on the internet rambling on about something or another.

@Kevin Sanderson There are templates all over the internet.

Hopefully, you'll go to an attorney for your partnership agreement, the lender needs to see this and one off the internet that misses buy outs, conversions of interests and key areas for financing risks won't look good as to your ability to manage or as to your grasp of business, see an attorney!

Has it EVER been this bad or is it due to the rise of the internet, youtube, and the general economy? 

You stumbled upon one of the best real estate investing sites on the internet!

I've heard ideas such as adding storage space, renting furnished apartments, raising rents by percentages annually, wholesaling cable/internet to tenants, etc.  

I'm a Entrepreneur/Internet Marketer.

But on the other hand, you'll have an opportunity to learn some (not a lot) of real estate law which is hands down better than downloading a wholesaling contract off the internet from some random guru.

I am asking in this forum rather than the internet forum because this forum is where most borrowers and lenders can be found and it is their opinion that will help guide me to a decision on this.

It does not have to be local to you, we are living in an age when most business transactions can be done over the internet/phone/email.