You should 100% have an executed contract, scope of work - if rehabbing, and a thorough exit strategy. 

2 years ago I purchased my first buy-n-hold investment, 4-plex that was 100% occupied at contract signing.  

So if you have an LLC and are putting deals under contract with your LLC then your signature at the bottom will be something along the lines of "David Todd managing member" but within your contract you will be using your LLC's name as "buyer".My LLC has a business checking/savings account that I deposit my investing checks into (since all my deals I use my LLC to close with)

I actually skip traced for him for several months before I found out that he was doing all is deals with NO money in and was assigning contracts of my traces for money.

So I specialize in creative financing types of deals (Lease/Option, Sub2, Contract for Deed/Land Sale Contract etc...).

A contract (lease) is only as good as the people that sign it. 

Start setting up appointments and put houses under contract (this can be a simple one page contract that shows who's buying, who's selling, the address, the amount, any other terms, and signatures.

And if you get any pushback, I'd contract an attorney. 

I understand that HUD doesn't allow "and or assigns" to the contract, but I can add a buyer. 

Alternatively, you can put your agent's name on the contract, and do the acquisition work yourself.I highly recommend not making offers without seeing the property first.