Another popular option is AgFirst but I personally have had a hard time getting responses from them.

This will allow you to remove the person and do the financing on your own.Home Equity Loan/Line of Credit: Since you're looking to access equity, a home equity loan or line of credit (HELOC) can be a good option.

We will shop for used appliances where we can when we need one… or pick up used cabinets if we can, or search eBay for something smaller,  but going to the extreme of personally shipping something big in internationally for one-off renovation needs seems like a stretch of reasonable.Just like you mention, the number of unknowns would not seem to be worth it to me.Just my 2 cents.Randy  

If not from the person in office, then definitely from the person running against them.

Hey @Logan Barwick, I personally like option 1, but this depends on what your strategy is to grow your real estate portfolio.

(Keep in mind there are Fannie Mae maximums on the number of personal loans you can have - which is 10 per person.

Yea this is a long-term personal play more than a strict STR deal. 

There are any number of Real Estate schools available to you, so choose the one that compliments your learning style, whether that be online or in person or a hybrid. 

Raising your credit score will get you far better rates personally as well as with private lenders for your LLC. 

I'll let others chime in on their experiences, but from a motivational perspective, I think attending live events and getting the "conference high" is something that only happens through in-person connections and being in the same room with investors who are eagerly pursuing their real estate/financial goals.