I'm good with a hammer, but bad with financial statements and numbers.

The right answer depends on your goals and, from a strictly financial perspective, the route that results in the highest NPV for you.

Learn from someone else's mistakes, don't reinvent the wheel, etc.My goal for my first deal is to financially partner on a flip with someone who has some successful rehabs under their belt so I can be involved in a deal, see firsthand all of the stages of the process, and learn the basics from someone with some proven experience. 

1) Yes that info is valid2) Bid a good deal higher than someone with a conventional offer to give the seller a financial incentive to take your offer.3) Use an experienced agent who gets a lot of deals done.

I want to make sure my financial contribution in this deal is protected before I agree to go into partnership with my friend to flip this house.

After hearing this weeks webinar on multi family by Brandon Turner, I have decided that it is time to take action and move forward in this journey to financial freedomI am 27 years young and like to be outdoors and travel.  

My advice is to decide what it is you want financially from an investment- appreciation?

Not to mention the admin cost/burden of setting up/running the LLC(s).Unless you have high net worth or ton of assets what you're seeking can probably be solved with umbrella policy which would be a LOT LOT LOT easier.

Otherwise, you’ll need to find a partner OR maybe you just aren’t in the right financial position to be making this purchase...

One effective list used for this would be Renters, age 26-50, a good income for your area and high Financial Stability Score.