I personally would start with family members and ask if they would sign a promissory note with simple interest so that you can take that loan and invest in buy/holds.

But from personal experience, your penalties and taxes on early withdrawing from any IRA or 401K can total from 35 to up to 50 percent.

So, while I haven’t paid a dime for those, I have met some people who have - who still have nothing to show for the investment, not one I know personally.

I didn't expect to get so much great, personal advice from such a diverse group of people all over the country.

We have a contractor we have used for her business and our personal home that is amazing and extremely reasonably priced that will do rehabs.

I use it for my personal portfolio as well.

Then shortly thereafter the same person called both my partner and myself and said that my Multifamily Mindset coach had called her and was trying to “squeeze into a deal we were working and was asking how much value are we actually bringing and was trying to convince her to remove people from the deal”.

It's personal liability I am seeking protection from. 

I use it for my personal portfolio as well.

I haven't personally looked, but depending on how far you consider "something nearby" you could start to look towards Bakersfield/Fresno or moving east.