And maybe we can be valuable to each on some from of fashion.

I hardly know any  Americans or Canadians who invest in Asia but I know plenty of people who invest in Latin America from Mexico to South America.

Things like Bank of American building downtown, Goldman Sachs Building downtown, Wells Fargo World HDQ in Irving, Chip Factories in Sherman and 100 or 1000 other moves and projects. 

go to local REIA groups.Go on sites like propstream and look at who is funding fix and flippersgo to scotsman guide and American Association of PRivate lendersThere you will find people who may consider funding deals.The key to getting a deal funded today is:1.

I'm just wondering how do you SCALE without buying on the good old fashioned 70% rule/MAO? 

You'll find each shop is very, very different with most simply focusing on good old-fashioned Fannie, Freddie, FHA, VA, and USDA.

This info is sometimes available via ancillary MLS systems (such as REALIST), or you can do an old fashioned public records search for mortgages.

Is it too late to really build wealth in a timely fashion so that we can enjoy our golden years eventually? 

This is because marketing costs money, and that is a big part of the listing agent's job.Another major part of any real estate agent's job is making sure all contracts and documents are properly executed in a timely fashion. 

I would use the good ole fashion enemy method and make sure your agent is specialized in STR