. $29,000), however I am on a regular repayment plan and I can afford my monthly payments.

If it's your first, but you're thinking of doing it regularly I'd advise treating it like a business and talking to both a lawyer and a CPA as it may be advantageous for you to form an entity or to open an IRA if you don't already have one for the purpose if it best fits your particular situation.

I kept hitting snags with getting a HELOC or regular loan in spite of excellent credit and savings because of debt to income (no W2 job), or the way property was held or described - so many little things you never think of! 

I do not know how hard it is to get rid of a placed tenant in your location, but regular inspections would allow you to catch a problem early before it becomes too bad of a problem.  

They are certainly not abundant but we do find them regularly and close several each month.

Remember that hard-money loans typically charge significantly higher interest than a regular 30-year conventional loan, and they'll typically charge up-front points and fees as well (which I don't see in your budget).Your time budget for this rehab is 2 months. 

With the one interaction I had with them, I knew they wouldn't meet the standard.

We're real estate friends... hang out at meetups, text and talk regularly, etc.

Local REIA- (Real estate investing association) Every State has a variety of REIAs- pick one and start going regularly.

If you want the property to be appraised according to its ability to produce income, they might decide to use their regular criteria for income-producing properties.