Really need some advice about private lending.

[Renee U.]

I think I have now dealt with every available scammer in lending, I am so frustrated and not even sure if I'm looking in the right places.  I'm looking for a home equity loan to do repairs on my house so that I can rent it out. It doesn't seem complicated but the only response I'm getting is scams.  Would any legit lender have me fill,out a brief app then approve me at 5% before ever requiring income or confirming My identity? And then everyone wants 1% of the loan paid ahead of time, or wired to an offshore account or sent from my escrow fund.. Why would I have an escrow fund?   I don't need a million dollars and I'm not buying an apartment complex so large lenders won't deal with this but it seems that everyone else is wasting my time.  What should I expect a legit lender to request from me? Are there legit upfront fees? where can I find a lender that doesn't use Google voice numbers?