You likely won't be able to take any deductions on your personal income, but real estate does have tax benefits.

Have you considered a personal loan?

Although I haven’t worked with him personally, he helped one of my investor clients acquire a few multi family properties a couple years back.

Have you considered a personal loan from a local credit union or from SOFI?

Liability for Personal Air Conditioning UnitsThe use of personal air conditioning units in the premises is at the tenant's own risk.

Tennessee comes up quite a bit in my conversations with investor clients or when I'm out networking. 

We are hoping by joining BiggerPockets we can get help from like-minded persons and communicate for help.

Send him a letter, emphasize that you are personally yourself the end-buyer, include proof of funds, include something attesting to you being financeable (unless your proof of funds is for the full cash purchase price).If he owns 20 local businesses, good chance he's in at least one chamber of commerce, and if he's not, he 100% knows people that are, who will spill the beans and offer to do an intro if you mention you're interested in buying a gas station over a beer or a meal (there's probably like 3 people in that city that fit this description, why not get introduced to all 3?)

Hiring an extra person does not seem like the right step.

In most cases, the lender will require the person who is providing the capital to sign for the mortgage.