Many of the OTAs and lead gen sites, like Furnished Finder, are pushing credit card payments. 99.9% of the time I get a message from FF saying 'your tenant would prefer to pay by credit card so activate Stripe now!' 

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.

GC in my area cost 10% of the total and I would say that is worth it for what they provide, but if you have the knowledge and willingness to be on the phone with subs (and spend a lot of time on site) you could save that by DIYing it.

There a number of good references on this site.

Numerous times I have been able to think through an issues that arose on a construction site and saved the Owner by proposing an alternate route to resolve it. 

To set the scene: A cost seg study breaks your property into two important categories:1250 "real" property aka the building, foundation and other long life assets.1245 property aka anything that can be accelerated such as 5, 7, or 15 year property like carpets, cabinets, or other site improvements.

Check on sites like BiggerPockets, Meetup, and Eventbrite. 

I think.. that darn NMLS website is the most user unfriendly site I have ever seen..  

Here is a video that runs down the basics - https://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/specialenforcement/01-Legal...There is also a prohibited building list - https://www.nyc.gov/site/specialenforcement/registration-law...Here are some more info overall - https://www.nyc.gov/site/specialenforcement/registration-law..All of this makes STRs in the city pretty tough but it certainly not impossible.

I'm still figuring out how this site works, but I'll be in touch if I hit a wall!