I would also speak to your lender, financial institution and the Realtor/Broker professionals about this situation so, you can make sure you are on the right track, and everything works out in your best interest.

Our business model back in the day was to use hard money lending for start-up costs.

If you ever plan on doing this later in your days, you could always do a management company and just expand on that, but I can tell you from my own perspective  that LLC – S and being W2 employee under that may limit some of your lending aspects, but it protects you around the world anywhere you go further if it comes to it, you can bankrupt your company, sell the assets and open another company the same way and you’re still protected through and through. as my wife is a high earner, it really protects her from civil suits and other things like that or anybody that ever comes to maliciously take what is yours.

As you mentioned in your post about using education materials to stay away from prohibited transactions, that's a great plan and most institutions offer a variety of educational materials.

If you haven't done private lending on your own yet, I highly suggest you read my book Lend to Live: Earn Hassle-free Income in Real Estate with Private Money Lending.

I found lending to be the best. 

People often confuse hard money, NonQM, bridge, fix and flip, PML and other forms of lending as one umbrella of PML. 

There are lending specialist (also private lenders) who will lend you funds for EMD etc for short-term only.

I think institutional money and large PEs maybe one of the biggest culprits that's driving the home prices and rents all across the States higher than ever before. 

Not sure of anyone else that will lend on a property that has a lower value than $75K.