How to get in front of money lenders.

[Carmen Falcone]

I am 19 years old and I'm looking to buy my first investment property (a buy and hold), but I'm having a hard time getting a loan. I have the cash to put the 20% down and have extra cash incase of an emergency. The main problem I'm having is I do not have proof of income. I work in sales but the banks want proof of income for at lest two years. Is there any way I can talk to a bank and get the loan or will it be impossible? If I can't get a loan from a bank what other options do I have? I read about some people using private and hard money lenders but I know very little about them. Where can I find a private/hard money lender? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a private/hard money lender?