Cliche perhaps due to popularity but for good reason.

Find popular, trendy, similar architecture/age properties on Zillow, airbnb, etc and see what styles, designs, finshes etc they went with.

Wood flooring is extremely popular now.

Maybe move nearby to a less pricey / popular area.- Downsize on automobiles, how many cars do you have?

One of the most popular letters looks like this: 

In less popular markets, B properties may sell for less, but you may also have a lower chance of appreciation and/or more difficulty placing tenants. 

find your niche. mean what kind of people are you going to market to.know your area. find out what area within your town and is popular, doing the most sales and get to know those areas. these are the areas cash buyers are investing infind your team members. realtors, attorneys, title company and the like. networking is key. you don't want to be scrambling for these people when its show time. its possible with one yet we accomplish so much more as a teamKnow your why. there is a ton of rejection in the beginning of this process.

At this time, there seems to less problems with stolen ads on these sites.And these scams are popular because they work. 

@Kenya Curtis I have not used hard money myself but I know it is a popular strategy used by many RE investors.

Go on any of the popular rental sites like VRBO, Airbnb, Home Away and check out the listings to get a better feel.