If for whatever reasons ( mostly religious I suppose), having a loan is not an option, there are other ways I have found out.

For anyone local who refers a tenant to me, I'll be offering a referral fee of $100 to them personally or $125 to the charity of their choice.What I wanted to do is talk to the neighbors around the unit, the owner of the local cafes (one of whom is also very involved in the large local Pagan group), maybe the head of the rotary club, and local religious congregation heads about it.

I also love YNAB for personal budgeting and use it religiously (knowing your income/expenses to the penny is key to profitable money management), so for the past few months I've increased my savings by pretending I'm carrying a note on a BRRRR and paying money into an account as if I'm in the middle of a 6 month rehab phase.I recommend that if you haven't laid out a business plan yet, grab a pen and paper and start mapping out your goals and how you'll get there. 

@Caleb Heimsoth I attend the monthly local REI meetup religiously, and I've met a few there.

I listened to bigger pockets religiously, but barely participated in the forum.

Talking about real estate, properties, and financial independence is something I enjoy.I listen to the BP Podcasts almost religiously.

I watch the listings religiously.

I have just recently gotten into the BiggerPockets Podcast and have been listening to it religiously over the past month or so. 

Most of the homes around us are being purchased by religious community that doesn’t mix with anyone outside of their own.

I also had a young deeply religious family where the husband worked and the wife stayed home and home schooled the children in their faith.