Searching for Private Money Lenders

[Kevin A Holden]

I've been looking into the option of using hard money loans to pay for rehab projects that I can fix, refinance for market value after construction is complete, and rent out in the north Texas area, but I feel like using a hard money lender requires a lot of up front costs and fees that tend to accumulate.  So I'd like to start searching for private money lenders.  I don't have anyone currently in my "circle" that would be able to finance these kind of deals so I'm curious to see how everyone else finds lenders to invest in their business.  Do you go to meets listed on bigger pockets or other sources?  Or is it just from word of mouth once all your friends and family have heard you talk about your aspirations or successes in real estate? I'd love to hear how anyone gets their foot in the door with private money lenders and would appreciate any tips if you can send them my way.