Yeah @Kent Fang ching, you detailed a couple of the strategy actions we are doing for clients right now in MN. 

Any strategies you would use to find a more personable hard money lender that is more local or are they all pretty much the same?  

This will allow the team to develop and review project processes and management strategies to move forward with more challenging, yet rewarding, properties.I come from a very process-oriented background (Mechanical Engineering), and my goal is to learn and develop each step of the process, from start to finish, to continuously improve the team and ROI of each project. 

I liked real estate so I got licensed, worked on a bunch of different RE strategies, started developing and managed to get myself stretched thin very quickly again, I basically made the pendulum swing way too far and had to consolidate again to find my path.

Cash flow is harder now so your market strategy is right on.

I look for liens that will be removed or that may stay, ownership history, platting, zoning, exit strategies, cost & profit analyses, and above all else; I physically look over the property.

What strategies or precautions can I take to protect myself and ensure I maximize the value of these deals?

I began inviting them to online zoom meetings I would hold with brokers, agents and investors... friends I had made along the way, where we would just talk strategy, loan types, current market trends etc.

What Are there creative strategies investors are using to offset those negative cash flows? 

Figure out your strategy and what works best for your project.cheers!