We went to our local REIA meeting last week and met some good contacts pretty quickly.

I agree with Brian although many portfolio lenders would lend quickly if you have 20-25% to put down. 

Are there hard money lenders that lend with longer terms or is there a way to quickly pay off that investor via refi or something else?

I did a quick search, and I will try to explain it a different way.The sign in the picture appears to be an on-premise for sale sign rather than an off-premise directional sign (pointer sign).

That will get them down quickly without getting your hands dirty!

It is in a desirable area where houses sell quickly, and the house itself is in great condition, along with the whole neighborhood it is in great condition. 

Although I have gotten a tremendous amount of information I'm looking for some advice on how to start my journey; what you wish you would've done, or have learned from, how to start quickly, etc.

But here are the quick points:1-2 months and the most labor intensive part will be new roofing, demo of kitchen and 2 baths, new deck and tearing up carpet and putting in flooring.

It can be done but you need to educate yourself quickly and be prepared to make mistakes.

I put this on my FB page, and it really encouraged a lot of people to really think about taking action in ways they hadn't thought of yet.This past January, Ashley Murphy and I got serious with the talks of her quitting her full time J.O.B.