Lenders or investors who have short lock up periods but have years of experience feeding their business with new capital would give me more comfort but anyone who is just starting and is promising a rate of return or return of capital in a set period of time would be alarming because they very well could be reliant on fresh capital to make good on that promise and that usually ends poorly.

I think you should start by understanding what it is your investors want out of the deal, analyze how the returns compare to traditional investments, and then see where you fit into this deal. 

Started the process on 1 house in Cape Coral Nov. of 2021. 

Depending on the State in which the property is located, foreclosure starts through a judicial process or a non-judicial process. 

I started a couple of months ago and would love to grow my network!

I'll start there! 

From there you can start to identify what you are looking for.Where do you land on the follow spectrums:Cash flow and AppreciationLong term or Short term needs (waiting for growth vs get out of my W2 now)Long term rentals, Mid term rentals, Short term rentalsBuying close to home or coast to coastSelf manage or hire a PMIf you can narrow in on those, you essentially have your buy box. 

You started by saying that you have Local bank relationship. 

Adding the 1 & 2 bed option is a great start, have you looked at pricing and dropping it further than your peers?

Kid in college and one starting to drive   blah blah blah.I'm sure there are numerous places to cut money for sure.