.- Personal: I work in tech, and Tom works at a VC Fund.

Much better chance of posting in classifieds here - if Facebook the group that taught you that it's smart to get this type of funding may have people as well. 

If you don't have the cash to purchase and close, then you'll need transactional funding to support double closing. 3.

Nathan I think this is true if your just talking about rental props for landlording.. the last 2 to 3 years have been the best years of my career.. building new builds and Loaning our funds.

However, if you're that tight on funds, you may be better off slapping yourself haha.

I borrowed $110K from a private lender for the purchase and self funded the repair of the offices. 3 months later, I rented 6,000 sq.ft. of office space to a corporation for $21,000/month + utilities for 5 years with another 5 year option.

Common misconception that the fed funds controls mortgage rates but that is not how it works. 

Basically, someone who already has the relationships with accredited investors and can assist in the raising of funds? 

My interest in real estate came from a desire to have stability and time/financial freedom.

High rates are here for at least the medium-term (1-2 years), so deals will have to pencil in this current environment.You may also want to consider hard money for your lending, as they can often fund your construction with far fewer restrictions than a HomeStyle loan.