Find your strengths and weaknesses. 

I would say to play to your strengths.

My greatest strength is my resourcefulness.

So many times in relationships we start out overlooking the glaring flaws because of their strengths, but as time goes on we switch the view and the flaws become all consuming and we start to over looking the strengths that brought you together.

You will want to start with a cover letter then attach to a business plan that goes over at least the following:Mission Statement - including executive summary and financial overview.Business description - name and location of business, principal owners, legal structure, status and type, definition of products/services, major strengths and challenges, strategic goals and objectives.Operation Plan - location, physical facility, labor, suppliers.Market Analysis - industry trends, description of total market, target market, analysis of competition, production/services differentiation.Sales Strategy - Pricing policy, distribution, promotional efforts.Management Profile - personal history of key participants, duties and responsibilities of key participants, compensation, available resources.Financial Analysis - sartup costs, source and use of funds, capital equipment list, income statement projection, monthly cash flow projections and assumptions, balance sheet projections, personal financial statements, personal income tax returns.It all a numbers game - make sure you present your number truthfully and make sure you educate yourself on every aspect of the business.

Off-market deals would probably be your best bet if you want to go the seller finance route, and would have to be a strong deal at that as sellers know the strength of the position they have in this market.A suggestion - look over next door to Durham, or even a little farther over to the Triad (Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point).

Truth and honesty first.Focus on the strengths and how you have a plan that you are building out.

And you have prior experience.I tell people to play to your strengths.

After learning and educating myself, I feel ready to seek my first investment property and luckily I think I've found the perfect partner (we fill in each others strengths/weaknesses).

The issue is some of the banks will ask you where the funds are coming from and some not all will not allow the fund to be borrowed.A HELOC is not equity realized it’s a loan with an interest cost that has to be paid back so that needs to be factored into the cashflow and DSCR which is why a lot of banks do not allow the funds to be borrowed.Again it all depends on the bank and your financial strength and reserves.