You’ll need an agent who knows the area well, a solid property manager, reliable contractor connections, and lenders if you plan to use private money.

Here’s a breakdown of the main ways investors fund their first deal while minimizing their own cash outlay:1.Private Money & Hard Money Loans– These lenders focus more on the deal than on your personal finances.

Are you focusing more on private lending or traditional financing these days?

I have deals needing funding and want to ensure I'm structuring them in a way that's competitive and appealing to private lenders.

Converting properties to multi-family is considered extensive rehab and those programs are a little more exclusive than the standard bridge loan programs. 

I generally went with private money first because I’d get better rates and terms.

Or how did you figure out the nuts and bolts of how to do private lending? 

Our strategy is to buy out of shape properties and rehab them back into shape, so a GC with experience in doing extensive renovations at once would be preferred.

Hard money, private money, joint ventures, even lines of credit secured against existing assets—there’s a ton of capital out there looking for strong operators.

Most property management companies are licensed realtors with extensive experience working with investors and providing valuable insights into their local market.