i.e. hard money, friend/family money, 401k loan.

It's always worth checking recent reviews to ensure you're getting someone who can move at the speed you need.A quick Anecdote: I had a friend who went through a similar process recently.

A friend of my wife’s brother in Maui has a 5th generation cork and cattle farm near Gibraltar, Spain.  

RoomlePlatform: AndroidFeatures:Allows you to create 2D and 3D floor plans.You can manually enter exterior walls and add rooms as objects.Offers a user-friendly interface with drag-and-drop functionality.Bonus: Plans can be exported to formats compatible with Windows for further editing

WA is not a landlord friendly state, but if you are going to invest in WA, the eastern side has some hot spots like the tri-cities area that may yield good cash flow and appreciation and still be close enough for you to go there when you need to. 

Great advice from my friend, @Shawn Mcenteer, that you got.

This is when i was telling all my friends to buy duplexes - even at higher prices (at the time), because anything you bought made sense with a 2.75% rate.

If you’re looking to connect with private lenders, start by tapping into your existing network—friends, family, and colleagues can often be a great starting point.

The friends/family circle is going to be the most likely route for your first partnership.

I can introduce you to a few people who can likely help at Red Stick REI in January if you'd like.