Those are usually not local hard money lenders.

Quote from @Deborah Wodell: I’m looking to connect with private money lenders or investors who lend their own funds for real estate deals.

Quote from @Chris Seveney: @Francisco AvancenaThere are specific lenders who will do land dealsBut of course not as many as traditional real estate.The key will be skin in the game - typically for land because it is less liquid than a home the lender will want to have a lower ltv on the deal I fund land flippers currently in  CO FLA WA ID MT NV AZ OR TX SC GA VA  one thing about land though LTV is lower and RATES are NOT the same as typical HML rates are higher for raw land but its a specialty niche and a business that I grew up in..

Quote from @Zach Edelman: Should be a list of Bigger Pockets recommended list of Hard Money Lenders to refer to as well/make the search a bit less overwhelming.  

He knows EVERYONE:)quick check they are NMLS licensed and state licensed so good on that end.. when they come to Oregon they will need to get state licensed here.. and in WA no license required.. you see a lot of lenders say they loan in NV but many are not licensed there..

Quote from @Scott Tennell: For real estate investors who have worked with private money lenders, what strategies have you found most effective in structuring deals to ensure both parties are protected and the funding process runs smoothly? 

So now instead of feeding the hungry stock market you can feed the hungry rental.I have watched people keep big debt on their home and then have the stock market crash.

Save...it takes a lot more money than most new investors believe (don't drink the Kool-aid that you can get in cheap) and residing outside the US will be seen as a substantial risk to most lenders which will limit your financing options. 

This question is definitely very location dependent - licensing across state-lines is a tricky thing to navigate so depending on the size of the lender they may operate in one metropolis or all over the country.

I'm getting to a point where I might want to pursue a lender for future investments but am trying to understand how these lenders choose people to work with.These types of lenders are called "Hard Money" because they are not betting on the borrower.