What to know before reaching out to hard money lenders

[Zachary Gamza]

Hi everyone, I'm brand new to flipping houses and am trying to learn as much as possible before taking the plunge.  I've realized that I will have to go to a hard money lender for financing.  I have no idea how this process works. So I was hoping someone can walk me through how it all works; specifically:

• do most hard money lenders want to meet in person, or do most deals happen over the phone or through email
• if i have no relationship with the lender, what information should I be providing
• should i have my reno budget in hand before going to a lender, or should I just have the projected ARV of the home, which I presume would be provided by my real estate agent based on comps
• as a first time investor, what sort of interest and up front fees am I looking at.  I have good credit, income and savings, and own a home but am paying a mortgage on it.

I appreciate any help you guys can provide.