It wasn’t ideal, but it was the only way to keep the deal alive.I made the drive to her small town, met her at a local bank, and had the paperwork notarized.

I would recommend tuning into Straight Up Chicago Investor Podcast and going to local meetups. 

Look into connecting with some local investors, they typically have meet-ups often and swap stories and different strategies.

I live in Phoenix and my business partner and I put on a couple local forums for investors like yourself to network.

I take a slightly different approach and try to partner with local vendors and get commission/kick backs. 

With all the negative comments and concerns over the houses not being completed per the contract dates, perhaps all the investors should speak to a local real estate attorney and see if they can get their money back or other concessions. 

Find a local meetup is your first step.

Well I must have an AWESOME local agent because I have no complaints at all and have used them for years.  

I am on the board of CFRI, our local REIA and I know we have dozens of agents and investors that have their license if only to list and buy their own properties, but could recommend some to you. 

start w local bank or CU ?