The other investor is looking to make the co-op a multi family and that is looking to be more profitable to do.  

I was able to fill each space with photographers, hair salon, insurance agent, recording studio, background check company, cpa, medical massage and a 3000 sq ft floor to a non-profit dance studio.I often bring the group together for happy hours on my dime, networking meetings etc.  

Were you selling at a loss, profit, break even?

Nonetheless, could you argue that it is a lead generation expense?

You would still have to give a personal guarantee until the LLC builds its own credit through generating revenue...If you are going to get do a flip with hard money, then you would need an LLC in most cases.So, you need to start with building a plan and worry about LLC's down the road when they are needed.

My goals are to buy properties in Maryland so that I can 1. buy hold and rent the properties and 2. rehab the properties and sell them for a profit; not necessarily in that order.

Got a HELOC dropped a manufactured home on some land sold for 50,000 profit net and doing it again.

No contractor will work for free and agree to simply share profits.

I would make double the profit on these but no equity and probably much less resale value and yearly massive renovation.

I don't need to make a profit, but I need to keep my payments as low as humanly possible, including property management fees.