Also in San Diego county there was no requirement to show COVID impact to benefit from the supervisor’s Covid eviction ban which I believe was the most severe in the country.What constitutes not taking for public use without just compensation?

In our experience since the settlement in Southeastern VA, most sellers are paying buyer agent compensation. 

Here's how you might think through the setup:Structure Options for Unequal PartnershipsForm an LLC with Custom Ownership PercentagesYou bring the capital, you hold 90% equity.He brings sweat equity and daily management, he holds 10% equity.This setup gives you the bulk of the long-term upside (appreciation, tax benefits, etc.) while still aligning your partner with ownership and motivation.Management Compensation OverlayIn addition to equity, pay him a monthly management fee (e.g., 5–10% of gross rents or a flat monthly amount).This provides immediate income for his day-to-day efforts and separates job-based compensation from long-term equity returns.You can also consider performance bonuses tied to metrics like NOI or cash-on-cash returns.Profit Split Waterfall (if Scaling)A more advanced structure for larger projects:100% of initial net cash flow pays back your invested capital (a preferred return).Then profits split, e.g., 70/30 until you're repaid.After that, a 60/40 or 50/50 split depending on scale and risk.This aligns incentives over time and adjusts the share as risk decreases.Entity Structure Tip: S-Corps as PartnersInstead of being individual members in the LLC, each of you can form your own S-Corp (you own yours 100%, he owns his).

This is asking a lot of a contractor to do, so I would give them full transparency on what you are doing and if they ask for compensation then I would suggest to agree to some small compensation or have an agreement that you are going to use him on projects. 

And, I would recommend that you commit to no more than 2% buyer agent compensation if paid by the buyer    I don't think a smart real estate agent is going to not take you on as an investor if you pay only 2%.

Since the rent from one unit is gone, the investor doesn’t get compensated for my personal living benefit.

I'm trying to think through if the decrease is due to them trying to compensate for the ridiculously high tax rate increases from last cycle that resulted in lawsuits and court orders.

If your other experience is also in the same market, that is a compensating factor as well.  

The parties agree that the exact amount of Buyer’s Agent’s damages in that situation would be uncertain and difficult to accurately estimate, and the amount indicated in the previous sentence is fair compensation for and a reasonable measure of those damages in the light of the anticipated or actual harm caused by the breach, the difficulties of proof of loss, and the inconvenience or non feasibility of otherwise obtaining an adequate remedy."

Since I enjoy my job and am well compensated I plan continue working but on a glide path for 3-4 more years because inflation and Medicare are two wild cards.