This is a very specialty field served by a handful of firms from various parts of the country.Finding a provider with the right business model for your needs, and one with the expertise to help you succeed is much more important than where a firm is located.There are two business models, served by different kinds of companies.Self Directed IRA Custodians are financial institutions that provide processing services to document investments into non-traditional assets such as real estate, mortgages, etc.  

And, since they are a portfolio lender, they don't have many of the overlays (rules) that other traditional banks do. 

And 36 Other Key Financial Measures 2nd Editionhttp://www.amazon.com/Every-Estate-Investor-Financ...Landlording on Auto-Pilot: A Simple, No-Brainer System for Higher Profits and Fewer Headaches Paperback – July 28, 2006http://www.amazon.com/Landlording-Auto-Pilot-No-Br...Stay away from Rich Dad hype books, but it's worth reading them to understand your competition's mentality. 

Curry cited reticence to invest in marketplace lending firms as a good example of the benefits of partnering “with traditional banking organizations,” which “may make more sense from a strategic standpoint.”

I know that I'll have to wait a little while to be able to get traditional financing.I was thinking I could do an owner occupy deal and live there for another 1-2 years (1 year to finish my lease then present my landlord with my proposal, if she accepts, live there for another year to fulfill owner-occupy terms, and be at my job long enough to get traditional financing.) 

Rich Baer, Esq.

There are still plenty of accredited investors, but they're unlikely to push the rates down a ton and crowd out traditional hard money lenders.  

You could always save up 20% and get a traditional mortgage, or save up 5% down conventional loan and buy your property to live in for a year, then convert to a rental after 12 months (least risk), then repeat.

So, at the age of 35 I just recently read Rich Dad, Poor Dad.

Rich Baer, Esq.