Seasoned Landlord, investor and Hard Money lender moving forward

[Jerry La]

Very long story short, I was mislead, misguided and ultimately ripped off by a chain of real estate professionals. Unfortunately among other things, it resulted in 2 short sales and I had to walk away from those 2 properties, having lost EVERY penny I had invested into them. I also had to sell my own precious house of 40 years. Currently I live in a 1939 "Moderne" style house that I also completely gutted and remodeled but I never desired to ever live in it, it was a rental property of mine. This and being ripped off by the former Hard Money investment business that I had been investing with. Unfortunately most of these professionals that I trusted and was reliant upon were interconnected. I even have 2 mortgages now that should not have ever existed that I need to pay off somehow. So now with all of this briefly explained history behind me, I am attempting to recreate myself and deal with my desires, repressed ambitions and goals once again. I've even been awarded with an interest earning $150,000 judgement that's going on 10 years old that I need to somehow collect (my $15,000 per month tenant vanished from one of the properties that I ended up having to short sale). Currently, I don't even have a tax preparer/CPA to complete my annual income tax returns and I am searching for one that is not a rip off artist that I can trust and be financially guided by. So now you have a bit of insight as to what is on my plate to move forward from. I'm diligently seeking various new professionals to associate myself with and potentially invest with. Having been a Hard Money investor in the past, I would like to become associated as an investor again with a new and reputable Hard Money investing business.  I happen to have a very creative and ambitious mind but I can not act upon it on my own. Incidentally, I grew up having to be a Landlord and I still am, at the very same small apartment complex in prime Hollywood CA.