Luckily we have friends and family who are interested in investing through us, but we're a bit stuck trying to sort out the best way to structure our investment vehicle.We've talked to a lawyer and an accountant and the general advice seems to be to incorporate in Canada, and issue shares to investors, however we're not sure what kind of share structure to go with (how many different classes of shares, whether we should issue voting shares as well or just non-voting shares, in what form investors will see returns, etc). 

I spent $15,000 setting up a simple sort of REIT, and that was the buddy rate. 

I absolutely agree that we cant go to a lender without all of this sorted out, otherwise I'm sure we'd be laughed at.

Just need to make sure your property is somewhat central to some sort of attraction that would generate demand for short-term rentals (universities, airports, sport/entertainment complexes, businesses, long-term construction projects, etc). 

Second is an email reinforcing the companies brand image.3.

It may not be comfortable (like I image online dating would be haha) but it is worthwhile and effective. 

I'm a partner in a sort of unique company that is a full service appraisal firm (all property types) but also provides civil engineering (mainly subdivision design and development), land surveying and title analysis services.

I have sort of start led an unofficial one of just interested people.

I had a similar situation and it turned out to be a test of sorts.

Beyond what Chris mentioned to getting a good deal to make this fourplex in Northridge area work is that with FHA you also have the self sufficiency rule and in my experience only fourplexes that have gross rents of .90% relative to the sales price or acquisition price have worked with FHA.This means your 1.7 fourplex would need to rent for .90% or $ 15,300 per month or $3825 per unit in order for your FHA financing to go through.This is mainly why I havent done many FHA 3-4 units (SS rule only applies to 3-4 units on FHA) in Orange county/Los Angeles/San Diego except back in 2010-2012 when rent to price ratios were more in line with .90%.You could often find .90% to meet the SS rule in santa ana, riverside, banning, san bernardino, ontario, maybe in the valley by victorville/apple valley/hesperia and other places where things can tend to be a bit more depressed.Nowadays even a wholesale deal in a prime market like huntington beach or hermosa beach probably wont work (fourplex is probably 1.6 -2.0 M and wholesale deal is probably 1.3-1.5M) and if it did work it would be a unicorn of sorts and you would be a very lucky individual indeed.