They required "skin" in the game and I didn't have the 20k to put down, so I borrowed that too.

If you can build up some savings and put it all on the line with your doctor friend, it puts some of your skin in the game too.  

For Iowa, the area is economically depressed and you may have difficulty just renting it.. 

You are asking a stranger to lend you basically all the money for a deal with no experience and no skin in the game. 

@Libbie Grant Welcome to the wonderful world of real estate investing where there are a million ways to skin the cat, all depending on your goals.My family has been in the Mount Vernon area for 20+ years now, so that's my farm area, while Anacortes is my place of work and hopefully live soon.

IMHO, getting skin in the game by investing time and money in a property will force you to learn. 

I know that might be a bit of a stretch but I have excellent credit and am willing to put skin in the game.

I am looking at a deal in Gwinnett County, I am having difficulty finding comps to access the ARV.  

There are many ways to find motivated sellers - you have to think creatively...there's more than one way to skin a cat!

A couple years ago, my parents were trying to sell their primary residence in Rockland County, NY and were having difficulty all summer long.