Bankers are generally not aware of hard money loan options, and even if they are, they don't generally refer them when they believe they can approve a loan to you from their bank.

I'm assuming you're referring to investors that provide all of the funds for your flips? 

@Stacey OlsonRecommend 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.

Quote from @Erick Pena: A "good" rental property is one that covers all expenses (mortgage, taxes, insurance, maintenance, property management fees, and any other costs) and still leave a surplus (commonly referred to as cash flow).Calculate cash flow as: Cash Flow = Rental Income − Operating Expenses − DebtThere's much more to it, but that's the basic idea.

In the pitch I include just a couple of my projects from the last year as a reference to my experience. 

When I'm figuring out how to price an Airbnb I always cross-reference AirDNA or PriceLabs to get an estimate on what the income would be.

Do you check Landlord references?

Get at least 3-5 quotes and check references.

Then I consider letters of reference, cosigners, and added security deposit in order to meet approval. 

@Kyle Mccaw Okay yes are you referring to FHA loan?