If you are interested, I can give you some names of companies that can help.  

Basically, someone who already has the relationships with accredited investors and can assist in the raising of funds? 

Once you find that company then you have to make sure that your business model aligns with theirs It is very important that you make sure you take the time to interview and have candid conversations with a PM company.

To be honest, I´m in the Maintenance & Construction for corporate businesses for some US companies in Mexico and we do some Real Estate down here also, but it´s way much different than the US, so I have much to learn from a lot of people around here and as @Julio Gonzalez, I think this is pretty much the right pad and place to start and to break my fears to start all over again from scratchAlso, I´ld like to hear more from @Justin Brickman why he voted for his city, pros and cons, it will help to read from a local...As I said before, thank you all guys for taking the time to write in this post and share some experienceDo you plan to owner occupy. $40k will not get you a non owner occupied San Diego property unless you find some unlikely alternate financing.

I have the funds available today for the purchase of a rental property as well as a primary residence, but I also want to set myself and my wife up to reach financial freedom.  

I would look up NARPM and start with them..Below are some questions I would think would be a good starting point for you to see who really treats their company like a business or a hobby.

Fast forward to when they were there (but not the designer, she never went and never told me she wouldn't go) I see my card was charged a huge amount, including an additional 5k from her own company, above and beyond the 7.5k I had sent her!!

And with a twist, that everything from day 1 is designed and built to facilitate intaking private $ into the "fund".

Meanwhile, our current President is shuffling communist funds through shell companies.

I have been funding A and D deals there since 2004..