Financing the first "investment" property

[Sharee Mason]

All of my previous investments have been financed as primary residences, because I lived in them first and then moved and rented. This time around I am wanting to purchase an investment using a loan (I have always used VA in the past but was told I cannot use it for an investment), and my lender is telling me that I need to put 15% down (19k in my case). I told her that I plan on using a hard money lender and that I'd get back to her, and she replied that I am not allowed to use "gift money" for the downpayment. Am I missing something or does she just not know what hard money lending is?