Speak with a local Realtor who knows the market, but also is knowledgeable about creative financing options.Good Investing...

That would provide you with both knowledge to help you run numbers but also provide you with a funnel network that can bring deals to you once you are ready to move on an actual property to invest in. 

They are 100% correct.The downside sometimes to forums is people have a superman complex and get the impression real estate is easy as they think everyone is doing it and just jump in without the knowledge or expertise.

I am also a lender, with Chase Bank, but want to expand my knowledge on hard money and private financing options.

Age: I think it will but you can minimize it by being knowledgeable, professional, confident, and fair.  

Investing in the market that you have knowledge of and the economic factors that support it is necessary. 

The real property investment can be repositioned if it proves disappointing in its original form; it can be refinanced or recapitalized if it has too much or too e pensive debt; inflation over time bales out many bad purchases, and finally the investors knowledge, experience and abilities can be leveraged to turn around a cash flow negative property.I’ll provide an exampleThree years ago we purchased a note from a bank secured by two auto repair facilities with a large amount of excess land.  

To my knowledge, the problem with investing in Costa Rica is that there is no financing available. 

The real life experience is the best option for learning and gaining the knowledge you need. 

You have a skillset that could be extremely useful for quick fixes and landlord issues and from there you can bridge relationships and partnerships to enhance your knowledge of real estate investing and couple your skills.