Found a previous BP discussion here.Very helpful info here from attorney Robert RowleyThe WA Supreme Court found a mortgage broker guilty of buying "under duress" as defined under the DHL for helping a homeowner save a property that back taxes even though he had not even received a certificate of delinquency!"

If that doesn't concern you then you can do a general partnership and save the $800 minimum tax in California. 

@Daniel DietzThey seem pretty savvy and I've put the seller financing to them in several different ways and tried to frame it around tax savings, more money in the long run etc etc.  

Their job is to maximize your investment, not cost you money.

On August 18 I am ending my lease so I can rent a room instead of an apartment to save money and pay down debt so I can be in the best position for homeownership next year.

As a homeowner turned renter and retiree from another state, I had assets (savings account balance) to prove my capacity to pay the rent for a year and a good credit score to prove my character of paying my bills on time.

Your credit will take a massive hit which may not be worth the interest savings of 18months compared with potentially worse terms on a new mortgage down the road (some lenders give rate discounts tiered with credit scores).I did exactly what you are proposing and have been wondering if I should just pay it all back. 

It's only roughly $100 "per door", but our goal overall is total cash flow, so $350-$400 total after all expenses and saving for repairs seems good to us.

Again more work for you, but you’ll save at least a few thousand just by doing that.

Being able to close in 30 days or even sooner is more valuable than saving a fraction of a point on the interest rate, in my opinion.