We go over this topic in depth during lease signing, and without exception, the tenant says "that's fair". 

Avoid over-leveraging and ensure decent cash-flow is the advice I hear over and over on BiggerPockets.  

From what I have read, wholesaling and lease options tend to require little money to start, but I also know that the lease option is a fairly advanced method.

My question is if there is a way to obtain a home through other investors or if I can use hard cash myself and end up living in the home fairly soon.

However if you make it to his big event which does cost a fair amount of money .. the content is quite detailed and you will learn how to or what to do to find rehab and resell.. and a lot of detail about rehabbing from all major components costs etc.. one of the big rooms is a deconstructed house and he has experts in from each trade.. 

Friends have suggested that we meet with a real estate attorney in order to ensure that we have everything lined up legally prior to beginning the endeavor.Our real estate agent gave us the name of a seasoned real estate attorney in South County and we are meeting with him next week.

My area is very mixed; very low income to fairly high income.

I am partnering up with a friend, but don't know how to make it a fair proposition. 

.)- ensure the ARV makes sense for that area - have a damn good mortgage agent (someone who's an investor themselves - there's quite a few out there)

Lawsuit pending. 2018 Increased awareness of disparate impact of criminal history screening Fair Chance Housing Ordinance SMC 14.09.025 disallows use of criminal records in the screening process.