I personally do not touch equity in my own home to incorporate into my business.

I used the proceeds of the primary residence I owned in NC to grow a portfolio of value add buy and hold here in College Station.

i'm considering trying to invest in CT at some point (I used to live there, I own a property there and have part of a business network, and I have family there) and just out of curiosity, I actually looked at new housing starts in CT vs.

So yes, it's about knowing your business and being very specialized. 

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Specifically, must this be a commercial/business loan type where you have higher rates and shorter loan life or is there an alternative loan type? 

If so they may have a real estate license or they may work with an agent that relies on repeat business rather than a one-off purchase. 

As someone who’s spent years building a real estate business from the ground up, I’ve seen both sides of the equation.

Admittedly, I am not one that typically finds paid mentorship very valuable, but I also respect that my degree is in business with a focus on real estate, and my first job out of college was in real estate (so it is a little hard for me to take my 20 yrs of knowledge and rewind it to try to view mentors from a completely fresh lens).A couple points: I view mentors, especially these expensive ones as a catch-22. 

Of course don't go there just looking for business, you go because you believe in whatever the group is doing.