Benson is really booming the past couple years and has really gentrified, but it is close enough to high crime areas that I just hesitate to pull the trigger there (no pun intended).

Partnership with local may help to get financing

A couple ideas are buy as tenants in common with a JV agreement, or form a partnership/LLC.  

Augusta Walk is being built where the old YWCA was on Augusta and is roughly sandwiched between Washington Heights and Chicora Crest - the new craftsman style mixed income houses Quinn Satterfield built in a public private partnership. 

I was looking at a deal with 2 investors who want to form a partnership.

3: I know David has advised against partnerships but has anyone made a 50/50 partnership like this work?

Again, not an easy decision - I spent almost 10 hours checking every number to gather the confidence but eventually pulled the trigger.

I’ve read that I should put the buildings in a land trust for anonymity and as a way to avoid triggering the due on sale clause.

One more tip – people remember stories that trigger their emotions.

If you live, or do business in, or know people in any of the above mentioned cities, I would love to just get to pick your brains about what these markets are like and to help a newbie investor get his bearings straight for when I finally pull the trigger.