Literally been in the USA 10 days.  

Here is a before and after of a couple of simple all siding houses that we have given facelifts to on a budget.  

It is quite simple! 

While I agree this should be pretty simple, at the time I was using a Seller's agent, so she wrote the contract.  

If this is in CA courts, it will literally be years before any resolution. 

If this is not the case, some good simple phone calls to get a release usually work for us.

In the first instance, you simple need a partnership agreement (or a company) with you as the operating/general partner to make it official.In the latter case, you may find yourself in the realm of securities regulation which will add much more cost and effort to your fund raising.

Simple.

A simple ditch dug around the property to drain the runoff properly cured the swamp problem.

Don't make it to complicated you will stress yourself to much over something simple.