I have a house that’s a long term rental upstairs and a medium term downstairs.

Platforms like BiggerPockets, local REI meetups, and Facebook groups can connect you with investors seeking opportunities.Joint Venture Partnerships: Consider partnering with a seasoned developer or investor who can provide the capital while you contribute your vision and operational effort.Hard Money Loans: If you’ve identified a property, some hard money lenders may fund the purchase and development based on the future value (ARV) of the project.Crowdfunding Platforms: Sites like Fundrise, Groundfloor, and RealtyMogul cater to real estate developments and could be a great way to gather capital.Seller Financing: If the land seller is open to it, negotiate terms to finance the purchase directly with them.2.

Placed another 8 unit portfolio under contract in early March, unfortunately contract expired on April 23rd, couldn't secure favorable loan terms that wouldn't allow portfolio to meet cash flow numbers because banks changed lending practices due to Coronavirus pandemic.

I completely agree that starting early is key to long-term success.

Mean while i would be building equity, and if rates do lower, or when the term ends, could refi for better rates and then maybe cash flow.My questions are:Is this too naively optimistic?

You set your own payment terms with YOUR client and then find funding for them.The Capital Syndicate is a private lender firm that offers financing through their own company, but they also provide you with a list of about 150 other private lenders. 

A lot of rehab lenders will account previous reno expereince when it comes to terms.

And I also see many questions popping up about running a short term rental business, which to me is more of a business than an investment although it does involve an investment in real estate. 

The national organizations can have a lot of money backing them from Alumni and it would be a very long term lease. 

Hard money loans can be an option, but they often come with high-interest rates and short repayment terms.