Need advice on raising money for a high end spec house, New York

[Chris Saints]

Hi - this is my first time on the forum, so I apologize if I have miscategorized this post.  I am looking for advice on raising money for a spec house in a high end neighborhood in Bedford, NY (Westchester County - about an hour from NYC).  I have built custom homes, flipped houses and renovate my own investment units.  I also work at a hedge fund trading currencies and have discussed this with contacts there.  It would have seemed possible to me, before this process, to talk an investor into a strong risk/reward profile, but it has not turned out to be the case.

Are there other channels that lend to spec house building?  Certain types of funds or platforms that I am unaware of?  I have found that you can not simply talk to someone with a lot of money, because if they aren't sophisticated in building homes from the ground up, they back away.  Everyone in my area seems to think it is a better idea to fix & flip, but with the right land price and construction crew, the return on a spec house is a considerably more favorable risk/reward.   It is very frustrating to not have the entire amount to do it myself - and I would love to hear how some members here have pulled off similar projects.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!  Thanks