I am on a couple wholesale list in Memphis.

I can't remember the cost, not too bad, but no phone callsI sent out 1,000 mailers (letters) I designed in envelopes a week for a couple of years and made a ton of money buying properties using "creative finance" some call subto.

Then my second house which was freshly turned had a tenant that up and left after a couple of months and caused excessive damage. 

If they can build a larger home and sell it for the same or more rather then building a couple small homes why do it?

One is seminars...My first seminar I went was "free"... an hour presentation at a hotel where they 'invite' (or was it lure) you to a 3 day seminar for a couple of hundred bucks.  

I've got a duplex built in 1888, and have a couple of cold rooms, upon inspecting the basement, there is no insulation under the floor of these rooms.

You don't know if they actually deal with thousands of lenders, or if they deal with a couple and this is their scheme to get your money and then get another 2% origination fee. 

We have a couple of exterior photos.Every STR we have stayed at without exterior photos was dumpy.

I got my GC license a couple years ago so I could build houses myself as I was sick of dealing with contractors.I've hired plenty of contractors that were not licensed/insured and it went fine.

You can also do this on a refinance.Else, you can find private money, take out a HELOC if you have a lot of equity, go hard money and then refinance after, or see if your preferred builder offers financing.