I then went to the bank and mortgaged it for the same $30k at 8.5% over 20 years.

Quote from @Mason Jacobs: @Marios Andrianos Im a private lender and would refi you as long as you had a LLC and a few other small things, if you are investing in the United States are you trying to use a bank in Greece for the US property? 

Owner finance for purchase private money for rehab.

Have you leveraged lines of credit, private lenders, portfolio loans, or other creative financing options? 

When my business partner and I were still flipping we bought a couple through Auction.com and we always used a private money lender to fund those and our other flips. 

Properties in high-risk flood zones (Special Flood Hazard Areas, or SFHAs) must maintain flood insurance if they have a federally backed mortgage.Flood zones still matter for:- Mortgage Requirements: Lenders use flood zones to determine whether insurance is mandatory.- Community Floodplain Management: Flood zone maps are essential for local governments to manage floodplain development and maintain eligibility for NFIP participation.- Risk Awareness: Flood zone designations still help people understand general flood risks in their area.Elevation still matters under Risk Rating 2.0, but its role is handled differently compared to the old system.Under the old system, elevation certificates were often required to calculate insurance rates.

@Wade Wisner -  Most of the notes that we purchase we keep in our portfolio and borrow against them with private capital.

The net rental income should be about 65% more than the mortgage. 

Lots of people use checkbook SDIRA for private lending.

syndication/private equity deals have a much better chance of penciling and providing decent CoC as there are more economies of scale and sophistication at the GP/operating group level in general.Thanks for reaching out Dan.