I have lenders that can fund in just a few days and are willing to finance up to 90% of the purchase price and up to 100% of the rehab budget, even for first time investors.

Even if you are not worried about cash flow I would suggest you buy things that do cash flow or invest in a fund. 

The biggest challenge seems to be finding lenders that offer these loan products which is where I’m looking for help from the community with recommended lenders that serve Texas.The Fannie Mae (or Freddie Mac) options are preferred over FHA purely because of the (perhaps perceived) limit on renovation funds that the FHA option provides.

I had a chat with them on the phone as i was curious about the funding.. but came to the conclusion that the down payment ( the client made to buy) was probably what they paid for the property and the seller carry back note was the profit.. and then the seller carry back note is sold to yet another investor.. who is investing for coupon money.   

Quote from @Denise Lang: Hello everyone,my wife and I want to start our real estate investing journey to boost our wealth and retirement fund.

Fund higher quality cosmetic / light rehab for durability and dignity for tenants.

In order to pitch for funding, we feel like we need to get a few basic ducks in a row.

I know it’s not a super helpful comment for your end goal but my wife and I are looking for a second rental in Virginia Beach if you were interested in freeing up some funds for your Pittsburgh expansion.

It’s easy to approach networking with a “what’s in it for me” mindset, but I found that the most valuable connections came from a genuine interest in building mutual trust and respect.

But I know several people who made this mistake even after I warned them including someone who dumped 3M into a fund that promised to pay 10% return.