I used a private lender, BackFlip.

Purchase price: $400,000 Cash invested: $20,000 Sale price: $620,000 Bought near a private university with the plan to live in it before renting it out.

Crew Enterprises Investors, (also known as Versity or NB Private Capital and numerous other names) I'm still interested in your stories.

Every investor has a different approach, but I personally buy my rentals the same way I buy my flips..at a deep discount using hard/private money, then refinance with a rate-and-term loan to secure a lowest interest rate.Ultimately, it comes down to your goals, risk tolerance, and ability to find value-add opportunities.

I'm in a number of social groups for private lenders and have run into a lot of scams.

We reached out to a private investigator and have had no luck.

If you announce to people there that you are a private lender, you'll have a lineup around the room to talk to you.  

Leverage your W-2 income for better loan terms, explore private/hard money for off-market deals, and network with investors to expand your deal flow.Good luck!

Sounds like you're asking for a private lender to go into second position to convert equity into cash behind an existing loan on these properties. 

Quote from @David Sotomayor: Im getting into fix and flip real estate and working with a private lender who requires a higher credit score than mine to qualify.