Ian - do you have any recommendations for a good securities law attorney? 

Since they are responsible for maintaining the relationship with you after the transaction closes, this approach adds an extra layer of confidence and security to your investment. 

To combat this: market the property well, be transparent, secure a great flood insurance rate so a buyer can know the cost and be able to transfer the policy.5) no flood zone AE does nothing to rental rates6) if the insurance rate seems high then get a flood cert and maybe it will decrease.

they appreciate, they provide other benefits like passive losses for tax purposes, and in the short term, they don't throw off that elusive passive income.

Could any of you guide me on what I should do initially to secure financing?

There funding is almost never secured for more then a year at a time.

So, your focus may need to pivot from high rental cash flow to little to no cash flow as a rental with an appreciation upside.I would recommend taking your $150K to $200K and securing a solid equity position in something that will cover its expenses and maybe provide a small cash flow, but then is poised to appreciate nicely over the course of the next several years. 

They’re asset-based, meaning the loan is secured by the property itself, and they often have quicker approval times but higher interest rates (think 10–15%) and fees.

For any of these real estate funds that have guaranteed rates of returns for set periods I would want to understand how my investment is secured.

A few other methods cost some money but is usually just throwing away small amounts at a time.