You may be able to rent a ladder that comes with a lift sled on it - you put some shingles on the sled, stand on the ground, and pull a rope.When I had the roof on my residence done, the shingles showed up the day before the roofers came. 

The asking price is $75,000 but the comps that I pull are estimating $55,000.

For investments that are relatively static and singular in nature - shares of a private placement for example - the services of a self-directed IRA custodian can be sufficient. 

My resources include:- The VA Home Loan- By the time I move, roughly around $30K-$50K of my own working capital- A real estate partner and mentor based out of Chicago- My brother, a real estate broker who I can go to for access to MLS- Currently trying to build relationships with lendersI got out of the Marine Corps at the beginning of 2015 and have spent since then learning everything I can about real estate investment before trying to pull the trigger on anything.

Or else is it just the crazy SF Bay Area market with overvalued properties that naturally sell higher than the rental market can bare?

I'm looking at Twin Falls specifically, but need to do much more before pulling a trigger on a home there.

High density buildings (like multistory apartments and condominiums) make small tract deals feasible but the development costs and expertise to pull them off are significant.

Which means the OP would have to have the means to close with the VA and then get a 2nd to pull his money back out.

So, back to the original question, what strategies or approaches have BP members used for securing private money lending for a down payment (knowing refinance will produce ability to pull out that down payment in equity in a short amount of time, to pay off private lenders quickly)?

Does the site have access to electrical power, natural gas, town water or sewer?