The best advise is to simply keep pressing forward and not let these sorts of things inhibit you. 

Anybody can making any sort of filing.

Make sure you are sorting out someone's opinion in response to your question verses a self promotion. 

Once you know these things (or some of them), you can make an offer on the property (either with an agent or directly to the seller if you are into that sort of thing, ha), and then once you have an accepted offer you need to make sure the title is clean, the funds are in place, then you close on the deal and the real fun starts!

With such small capital I suggest for the time being to not try to over-complicate a BRRRR deal and instead save that money or invest in some sort of crowdfunding for now. 

Brian,It is good that you are starting in an area with at least some sort of Familiarity for sure.

Maybe have some sort of special qualification to show that all of their properties meet or exceed a specific checklist of predetermined updates to the property.

Not trying to split hairs here, but the difference is important.I think this would make lease options particularly problematic, since they are defining your intent to sell not hold long term.That said, your intent can change.

Would anyone have a good example of a pitch book of sort that you used to obtain a hard money loan for an investment property?

I paid for a 2nd opinion, turns out it was just hair and there was no issue.