Hey Jason! I can relate to your frustrations. Not everyone has the privilege of having a loved one fund their deals early on. I haven't yet invested into a rental property myself, but a mentor of mine gave me his financing strategy when he was starting out. He opened up a line of credit through his credit union or bank, so that he would have access to funds on short notice if he needed them, and he also built relationships with hard money lenders. There are many lenders out there that will finance your purchase at 85% LTV, and if you've got credit reserves to cover the remainder, you've got the funding necessary to get you in the door. The interest rates may limit your price-range, but it gets you in the door. He now has a portfolio of over 25 doors in the Cincinnati Area. Again, this is not something I myself have done yet, and I'm sure there's more veteran BP users able to answer your question, but that's one of the strategies I've been told of.
Best of luck!
