If you're looking for the passive route, maybe Fundrise could be a good option. 

If you looking at the wholesale route hit up @Jeff Lipple he is strong in that area.

But, if you are willing to go the commercial route, you can get the loan to your LLC from the beginning.

Find the route that gives you MORE TIME.

What are the reasons that you go that route?

In your opinion, would it be best to go that route...make a financed offer with no financing contingency...as opposed to either incorporating a gift letter from the third party to the LLC OR bringing in the third party as an equity partner in the LLC?  

Of course it's under contract but it gave me the thought of looking towards SF vs condo route.

If not you can go the private money route but you need to see if your numbers make sense with PM.

However, we play to sell within the year and either buy another primary residence that better fits our needs or buy an investment property and use the cash flow to pay for our rent - that's the choice we've given ourselves.So, if we did go the investment route, I was thinking that I would invest out of state where the cap rates are much higher and gain enough cash flow to live almost rent free (I think I would need a cap rate of about 10% on a $700K or $800K property).

It's always a good idea to talk to an attorney about it as well.Personally, if I could get 30 year fixed rate financing but only if the properties were in my personal name I would probably go that route and just buy a bunch of insurance.