I feel like my market of Montana is a little pond with a lot of fish as far as real estate investing goes and don't know exactly where to start. 

Great hunting, fishing, skiing, cross country, inexpensive golf , Presque Isle state park for beach goers. 

Not looking for “get-rich” quick solution.I do like long walks on the beach & sushi.I’m an avid fish-feeder, because I love to fish, but don’t succeed well at catching!

Problem is, Denver is nuts right now.

A lot of these nut n' boltparts of the process differ from location to location, so the Denver specific details help so much. 

So here's the nuts and bolts:A commercial property with 3 small store fronts on the main level, and apartments above.Left Storefront: $350 Middle Storefront: currently used as owner storageRight Storefront: Currently occupied as a Post Office Contract unit that pays a percentage of sales.

Any suggestions on the nuts and bolts (contracts, how you structured deal, what % rate of return you offered) and how you managed the relationship to help the investor feel comfortable?

I'm not familiar with the area but based on the description you gave, you could potentially advertise as hunting/fishing area while renting....just a thought.If there's a demand and the costs work out in your favor (or better than a standard 1 yr lease rental) then I'd say you're not crazy at all.

I was really trying to stay small and work more individually with a smaller firm since I still feel like a small fish in a big pond. 

He helped us with all 3, knows the area, not afraid to speak plainly, and can actually help save the deal when issues come up like they always do (some agents just let them fall apart after you've tied up EMD, inspection, appraisal money, etc...drives me nuts, Bill actually helps find creative ways to get the deal closed).