Taking risks, skin in the game, is how you learn.

I don't know how many auctions you have been to but my market is dry as a bone.

Avoid any property that used to be a gas station or a dry cleaner (on-site cleaning), because mortgage lenders are likely to turndown these loan applications due to environmental issues.

If water entered the basement, they should have opened the walls to dry them out.

Really :) So you need THICK skin, but they are out there!

They all wanted me (and they'll want you) to have some 'skin in the game'

Let them know that you are available, what you are offering and that you are investor-friendly.HML's will want to see you have some skin in the especially with no experience. 

I'm just not sure that I feel comfortable fronting that much money when my partner doesn't have somewhat equal skin (money) in the game. 

It will just be two water lines that tie into your already existing water lines, a drain tied into your already existing drain pipes (or even into a dry well depending on your laws), a 240 volt electrical line to be added for the dryer and a cutout for the dryer vent.

Both times the toilet supply line snapped (don’t use the overlapping metal type that look like knight’s armor or snake skin) both claims were over $30k.