I would only suggest hard money after you have performed several deals and are familiar with all costs and potential rehab surprises that can be encountered.

My tenants filled out an application and have only 1 email address for the couple (yes, I know they are free but this is not the 1st time I have encountered this as an agent).  

Beyond that, PM me to get some local contacts that might be viable for your needs - as I've also encountered the same problem due to number of properties being higher than allowed by many banks and credit unions.J.T.

This may not work as well for you as variable rate real estate notes in the U.S.A. are not as attractive as those here (unless there is something other than an ARM which I have yet to encounter).

Exposing your soft underbelly .....Probably not good on open forums either since you will encounter people like me that don't give a dam.

On an individual scale, when encountering an asymmetry you make the choice to absorb or outsource that risk.

Throughout the process I found myself critiquing the agent (just in private thoughts) on how I would have handled each hurdle we encountered. 

See if you can get some calls going to local brokers to get a better understanding of the market and the properties you will encounter.

But, I have made many mistakes and I want everyone (especially those starting out) to learn from my mistakes and the obstacles I encountered throughout this process.

What have you encountered?