Sure, you can do well without one, but research shows you a MUCH more likely to be successful with one.

You want to build your investments on a stable foundation, you can not do that with bad debt pulling you down.Additionally to be a successful investor you must be financially highly structured.

In the meantime, feel free to share your successes and either mistakes or sticking points with fellow wholesalers, lenders, and peers. 

I'm looking to build a network and gather as much knowledge as possible to become as successful as possible.

I would stay open to splitting the equity as tenants in common - your first deal should be about experiencing a successful deal not having 100% ownership.

I'm diving into a potentially 100k+ rehab project in Central NJ (Bridgewater area) and would like to leverage some of your positive GC experiences to give this opportunity a high-percentage chance of success.

Not crazy overpay, but if you're offering 93% of asking price in a market where the average home sells at 98% - 103% of asking price, you're probably not going to be successful.  2.

Hey Gabriel,Great to hear some success with the BRRRR strategy especially in Indianapolis.     

My advice to you would be to put the hard money lender to one side (he isn't going to go anywhere and will more than likely be even keener to help you once he sees who successful you're going to become) and take the next 18 months to (1) Find yourself a job in finance, and (2) Find yourself a nice 4-plex to purchase/house-hack via an FHA loan. 

Although I'm not afraid of taking risks (I do run into burning buildings, after all), they're usually taken with a lot of education, experience, and forethought.I do have a friend in the fire department who has been successful with wholesaling, flipping, and I believe rentals, too, in the Baltimore region.