In Houston, you can either invest locally or explore strong Texas markets like San Antonio (affordable duplexes, strong job market), DFW suburbs (duplex-friendly zoning, growing economy), or Houston suburbs (Spring, Cypress, The Woodlands for good schools and tenant demand).

If your really needed it one could also consider hard money though that will come with higher rates and getting someone to give you 300k first time might be harder than just getting loan then you could refinance it later.Since your a high net worth person I would also try talking to local/regional and even big bank lenders.

@Angela Hudson if you want to fix/flip find someone local and fund their deal (ie lend).

Conversation in local Bar, say I would pay all CASH How did you finance this deal?

Researched the area , contacted local team through biggerpockets How did you finance this deal?

Do you attend any local meetups in your area?

But being a local it seems like the prices are only going higher. 

As for meeting local wholesalers, networking at meetups or even online could help you connect with the right people. 

If you want to network or ask specific questions about your local market, go to your local real estate forum and connect with investors from your area: https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/86-local-real-estate-networking5.

I am on the board of CFRI, the local chapter of the National REIA.