Firstly, Canada did not experience the mayhem that occurred south of the border {though several of our real estate markets could have used a haircut}.At the time, I had been working with telephony/network providers and brick & mortar retail companies around the world for many years designing and implementing network/communications security.  

Appreciation or even speculation of appreciation is like gambling and investors tend of to have personalities that shy away from that. 

Purchase price: $246,000 Cash invested: $22,300 2 bedroom 2 bath condo at Laronatta in North Phoenix/Scottsdale border.

I wish I had the balls to gamble with it!

There are many other ways of getting financing without the gamble of possible financial misery of a loved one. -- Good Luck - JonI love that strategy Jon!

We gambled and won.   

Don't get me wrong; there are plenty of issues/problems/quirks that old houses have that new houses don't, and an old house can obviously have hidden problems and big repair/maintenance bills too--which is why thorough due diligence is fundamental to REI...but, the point is: a brand new house is not a foolproof solution to repairs/maintenance headaches (and in some cases, a brand new house can be a much bigger gamble than an older house).This is a particularly important lesson for inexperienced investors, who tend to be the most prone to "shiny object syndrome" (the tendency to let nice aesthetics distract from real, underlying issues).

A partnership is fine at the start, However, You will really need to call the Texas Secretary of State and verify for yourself, Do not gamble on the Info you get on the internet,  Secondly, You need to safe guard your personal assets, Meaning you need to be at least an LLC, just in case things do not work out, If you are an LLC, and you have financial problems at any point, The LLC will protect you. 

Pick a market and look for news about transformative projects on the borders between high-/low-end neighborhoods.

I have growing family ties across the border from Detroit, most specifically in Windsor, Ontario.