You need to ask your lawyer unless a lawyer from your state is willing to give advice on line. 

Good day BP family, I am grateful to be apart of this vast online mastermind.

Brent, I've been in the game for some time.

However; what you can do is look up the number of permits that are pulled from the building department, most cities have that online now. 

With technology being so prevalent, is it impossible to find and close on a deal completely online while only using a friend to view the property (for due diligence purposes) in the area where the deal is located?

I've read online that you can further reduce the capital gain by adding others to the ownership.

I went straight to the sellers agent because I was told through an online inquiry that there was an offer on the property that was being accepted.

Since that time, I have watched more products being offered by GF, not just rehab loans anymore, but new construction, BRRRR loans, even notes of pre-bundled loans underlying them come into the mix of what an investor can purchase fractions of.I like the fact that the borrowers tend to have some experience, and skin in the game, and that the GF underwriters properly value these properties, and the fact that all these metrics and more are available for any investor to see. 

I'd like to start investing, but I don't want to play the market timing game and potentially wait years until we see a dip in prices locally.I have considered Fresno, Sacramento, and Phoenix because I am familiar with all of those areas.

If she wants to invest, I recommend an S&P 500 index fund through any online site such as Ameritrade.