How to finance your first deal? What did you do?

[Ashley Sliwa]

Hey everyone, I am looking into real estate investing and curious to know, how you all financed your first deal? I am thinking of starting by flipping, but I do not have quite enough money to afford a 20% down loan. I also am unsure if I would qualify since I own my own home and do not make a huge amount of money extra , my debt to income would likely not qualify. Those of you who have used private or hard money, how do you find good lenders that you can trust? I also am considering partners but am unsure how to find any in my area. Any advice would be great! If anyone is in MA, connect with me!