I do question the portfolio lender approach.

I am looking for at then end of the day the most hands off approach.  

Being on the opposite end of the country my advice would be to approach the land owners you have identified and ask if they would like to JV.  

As I approached it, it pulled its head partially into the shell.

So your property taxes may increase approximately proportional to rent increases, meaning this logic and approach may not work for you unless rental increases exceed property tax increases substantively.

I am a licensed agent that focuses on investing myself so when I am approached by an agent who says they are investor friendly but don't understand the basics of what I do I don't work with them.

Hi Jack,Just responded to your PM, but for others I'll note that the two primary approaches in CA are to partner with a title company, or do the research yourself.

He said to me "You sound like the best thing that's happened to [the owners]" because of my action-oriented, budget-focused approach.

I do believe that we are approaching the end of this current cycle, which may present some opportunities for investors in the future.

This approach seems like there could be missed opportunities as the partners wait for the LLC to be created.