It's tempting to try to be a do gooder and accept a security deposit provided by a social services agency or nonprofit.   

@Justine Scheuher I'm with everyone else in that your partner should receive a pretty low stake, or just pay your partner for services rather than give away equity. 

I'm a wholesaler/buyer too, but when I work with a wholesaler, I like when a wholesaler is out to truly do right by their buyer - get them the best deal and not be too greedy about it and  are trying to provide a real service.

Is there a source for the following data;  I am looking for the "norm" for the expense ratio (based on either GPR or Gross Income) for individually metered garden style apartments in the south east and the mid Atlantic (Region IV) : Marketing Insurance Janitorial Service Lawn/Snow Licenses Miscellaneous Professional Fees Accounting Legal Property Management Fees Repairs and Maintenance Resident Superintendent Salaries and Wages Supplies Taxes Real Estate Personal Property Payroll Other Trash Removal Utilities Electricity Fuel Oil Gas Sewer and Water Telephone Other (whatever I missed)

Scrimping on those can lead to repeat service calls for minor issues. 

I would be happy to share our services and our subcontractors with you. 

I use Innago to manage my units, and they provide screening services through TransUnion's SmartMove.

a significant portion of our exchanges start in one state and end with the purchase in another anyway.You'll find your best price and service with a nationwide intermediary large enough to have economies of scale but small enough to have principles managing your file throughout the process.  

They provide services in Oregon and Washington, and they have done a good job for me and they specialize in property management. 

Look them up on Whitepages.com or through any skip tracing service of your choosing.