I just finished up my financial statement and need to work on a business plan next.

It might be worth paying another 1% to a bank for the safety of knowing your owner financiers cannot be foreclosed on. 

Make sure they actually have it under contract, There are lots of these operators that have no financial interest and are brokering real estate without a license.3.

With your credit history and your financial situation, you should be able to get started in that area no problem.

You can go about it both ways, you can get it under contract after you've been pre-approved for funding but it really shows the lender you're serious if you have it under contract already.The price of the house won't change drastically after it's under contract, so we'll know how much funding you'll need and you'll have a clearer financial picture from which to plan from.Let me know if there's anyway I can help!

I told to a financial planner in the midst of the Great Recession.

Now, one of those things, depending on your personal worth is you might want to form either some type of corporation or an LLC to form that will protect you personally and put you in a tax advantage.  

Consider forming some type of corporation or a LLC to protect yourself personally.  

I have been consulting people and governments for years on financial matters and legislation.

I don't know at what stage of the process you and your brother are at in this process.Here are some thing to consider, when you say 50/50 is that your financial split?