Seems like a larger percentage is what is more common.

That's what makes this probably not qualify.If by some odd chance the REIT let you invest as a tenant in common on the building then you do indeed own real estate at that point. 

It is common in California to convert garage to living space.

That's the most common culprit, as @Scott M. says.

Sometimes it's half (3% each side in this example would be fairly common), sometimes it's more than half, sometimes it's less than half, sometimes it's a percentage, sometimes it's a flat rate. 

Do you have any recommended property management companies to manage client turnover, cleaning, and stocking of common items?

I'm writing to ask about best practices or common approaches to accounting for property taxes.Here the tax bill comes out in November of each year.

Is this common practice?

How did you guys close on a 4 unit starting off and competing with cash buyer which are so common in todays market?

Partnerships are less common these days because of the flexibility of LLCs, though some investors still like to use limited partnerships for real estate investing.