Oh and find a bunch of people who are willing to write you $50,000+ checks despite having no track record or experience.

I'll check this out. 

Give a ring to Sergio Ortega, Don Strickland , Lilia Russel, Mike Makredes, claudia Dill...could keep going but just  check out the testimonials on our site and I'm sure they'd love to chat :).  

@Rabia Khan leverage buyers agent experience. look for HOA cash reserves, check how old or recent HVAC is, kitchen appliances etc. the more recent and updated they are, the better it is for you as you dont have to invest in maintenance or capital expenditures.

I do see where it asks me to check the box if I am an active real estate professional, but that looks like it requires 750 hours in a year of work, and I probably had more like 500 or so all together.

So you are buying without writing a check of any kind other than maybe Earnest money.

SDIRA Wealth is worth checking out and you might find them to be a suitable option based on your goals.

Also, check out the (recently re-branded) Good Deeds Note Investing Podcast.  

You may try engaging a broker who can connect you with multiple options, rather than just checking with one lender. 

You can check out hard money lenders and private money where they focus more on the deal itself than your employment.