Yes historically self storage has performed very well in down cycles.

As a result, I'm looking for resources outside of that circle that understands this scenario and can perform honest, competitively priced work.Alternatively, we would also consider pursuing a good property manager, that provides transparency with us and their contractors, handyman, etc...

We've discussed some basic expectations like, whoever finds the lead or brings it to the table should get a finders fee, whoever fronts personal holdings into the rehab should get a respectable return on their investment, managing contractors or performing work on the property deserves compensation, and we both assume with my partner being a realtor, he would receive the commissions as listing agent. 

You can help accomplish this by putting together a realistic pro forma of the performance of the investment over time. 

This is why I was asking how lenders (I should have said appraisers) value these properties if they aren't performing.

Knowing the long term gain in rentals will out perform flips.  

Usually when those conversions happened utilities were not split properly especially since no building permit or proper inspections of the quality of the conversion work performed.

Great advice on investor relationships and getting certain tasks completed!

I would highly recommend @Rob Drum in who's a high-performing agent in the greater Birmingham, Alabama area.

Machine learning is not a means by which to evaluate or perform analysis, be it financial or other.