I know the residential assisted living model is very successful in the Phoenix area. 

However, I have a no-excuse mentality and believe there are tremendous opportunities to be successful for those that are willing to grind for them.

Talking with a very good friend who’s a successful REI in my area specializing in buy and hold/flipping and is also an agent/broker.

That is what defines success, not a name.The practical reason not to name after yourself is to keep some level of separation from the business.

Saw how successful a real estate agent friend of mine was.

There are plenty of successful out of state investors but also lots who put together mediocre investments. 

It's a loose goal but I like structure too.I've been successful with some single family flips but they are hard to come by (much less predictable in availability and actually beating out other investors) so I am considering some longer term real estate investing. 

But a successful 1031 exchange depends on a technical assignment of your rights to sell the property. 

I would be less interested in finding deals, running day to day operations, etc.If you have been able to form a successful real estate partnership in the past where you are (or close to) a passive partner - how did you find the right partner?

I've used these strategies in the storage world with good success.