I have a potential private lender, but I need to determine if this is a viable investment opportunity and explore the best financing options 

Hey Neil, Welcome to the forum and to exploring NYC real estate!

Look for undervalued properties.Network: Connect with local real estate agents, contractors, and other investors for insights and deals.Analyze Properties: Use the 1% rule to evaluate potential properties (monthly rent should be at least 1% of the total investment).Secure Financing: Explore different financing options like conventional loans, hard money loans, or private lenders.As for timing, if you can handle the extra responsibility, starting now could give you a head start.

I’ll continue to explore a couple other options in the meantime. 

We had a client that bought in Port huron and then ended up selling their property because they went through 3 PMCs and gave up trying to find a great one:(Some copy and paste advice below:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Recommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.

Getting back to the original post, what would be a strategy you'd explore given his circumstances?  

I am pretty sure they give free consultations to explore your financial position and current cashflow, to see how Tardus could be of help to you and if they would be a good fit for achieving your goals.I have been looking at Tardus and one of my primary questions is how they identify "fast burning" vs "Slow burning" fuel.

.✅ Exploring creative ways to get deals done, even without a ton of upfront capital.I know that success in real estate is a team sport.

Without knowing much, I definitely encourage you to explore a lease-to-own option. 

Yes, I’m based out of Riverside and currently exploring wholesaling here.