Since I am new to this I would love to find some local players to bounce ideas off of or even partner with on my first few deals.

The only benefit to brokerage is growing big enough to get gobbled up by a bigger player who will pay 3-5 times earnings for the brokerage. 

They were players with nothing to lose, I was an idiot. 

It's been important to have the network I started of people who have been doing this work but it just sux knowing that when I come to the table, I'm not going to have as much as I wanted to be able to help the other players out as much as I'm now going to have to ask for their help.Unfortunately, while I was able to convince my wife this is the investment route we need to take, she has already expressed to me that she is not open to the traditional idea of house hacking, as in her mind, that is a step backward from where we live now.  

Although there are national players, most hard money lenders are local.

You can bring a million BPers that sit on the cash flow and do or die mantra, but all the major players know where the real underlying value is.

Quote from @Crystal Novak: I have family in Wisconsin that we visit yearly and sometimes twice so this has been something Ive considered, also a newbie here trying to find a market.What cities in Wisconsin and what kind of ROI? 

Well 3 of the Frayser players drove to the game and the pitcher had a full grown beard.

Like Bob said a portfolio lender is your best bet to finance a house in an LLC.In my area there are the big players- Wells Fargo, M and T, Bank of America, but I also found two local lenders that will loan to LLC’s.Maybe another option for your LLC is to use a LOC secure by real estate or investments.

Personally, I am a huge sports fan and poker player.