Don't miss a deal because you dont have an LLC, but from an asset protection standpoint the less that shows up on an asset search the better, so you dont want things in your name if you can help it.

Transactional lending will always choose the escrow to protect their funds.

While protecting the buyer and sellers interests?

Pennsylvania has some fairly strong protective services rules.

So, in a HUD purchase there are safeguards in place to protect the buyer in regards to title.

Old school Brooklyn is defensive, raise the walls for protection because we are not accepting new information or new people.  

The Court protects the beneficiaries of the Trust from being ripped off by a unscrupulous Trustee such as selling the Real property below market value to their girlfriend/boyfriend/business partner/etc...

More importantly, the effort has been made to shift more risk from the shoulders of end users to that of investors who paid cash and was not protected by non-recourse loans.

I have tried to do this the legal way to protect myself and I seem to just be spinning wheels.

There is the issue of rents and financials being manipulated, vacancy not being true or other misleading claims, but we'll skip that side.I don't know Lakewood, but I'd first protect my money by knowing my market, the local regulatory issues and code requirements.If you are going to invest as a slumlord, find out how life is with slumlords in your area.