Is a loan worth it?

[Austin Steed]

I've been doing some research on loans and the more I'm finding the less I want to even mess around with it. I've been listening to Brandon Turner's book "Rental Property investing" and just finished all of Ohio's preliminary classes to become a R/E sales agent. The point is I've learned a lot about loans recently. 

I have about 18k in liquid-able assets and about 10k inequity in a rental property that I own in California, all of these funds I am willing to use. I also met an amateur investor that has about 15k and motivation to get started in the industry. Between the two of us we have around 33k and in worst circumstances this could be manageable. Only due to the fact I've been going to the sheriff's foreclosure auctions in down town Columbus. 

Yes we can buy a 25k house and put 8k into it. However, the house were talking about is a shack... So i was looking into loans. I just recently left the service, actually in April of 2016. Any bank that would sell to the secondary market is obviously off limits, not only do I not meet the 28/36 for conventional but I'm on unemployment. How would that sound sound to an underwriter.  My next option is portfolio lending, and even there they want two years of tax returns, especially for independent contractors like R/E salespeople (which is the career I plan on doing for now). I'm in a pickle. 

Okay Bigger-pockets, there's three routes I can take.

1.) I save the money that I make from being a R/E sales agent, find another amateur investor with similar funds to use and buy a home in which I would like to use Brandon turners Brrr method, That is Buy, rehab, rent and refinance. The thing about this is, I would have to wait until at-least summer of 2017, and as young as I am want to take full advantage of the time value of money. 

2.) I keep pushing my way through the door for a loan at small banks and maybe get one of the investors be a co signer on a loan, considering the guy I mentioned earlier has a steady job with decent credit. 

3.) Take a different route and look for private lenders, I don't really know where to start other than this website and maybe some of my friends parents, which would be a God awfully awkward situation. 

Lastly, if anyone reading this has a more creative or better way of me being able to get financed  to obtain another rental property please let me know!