In fact, the rule of thumb in the industry is called the 50% Rule: that 50% of the rent will go toward non-mortgage expenses (vacancy rate, repairs, maintenance, insurance, property taxes, management, accounting, etc.).

I know a lender if you are in California. 

They announced last summer that for the first time ever searches from non-medical personnel exceeded that of medical travelers and yet they still haven't really pivoted.

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

Private equity funds are not open to the public and have more restrictive membership criteria, such as high net worth or an institutional affiliation.The second type is a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT).

Contact a lender and get pre-approved from them.

Wow.It seems that in England a non residential building can be legally squatted.....?

Hard money lenders and rehab loans do not exist here, though you can get some renovation funds together with your mortgage.REI meetups are more rare too, and mostly focused on investing abroad.

The typical wholesaler is cash/hard money only, non refundable deposit, no inspection period and you pay both sides closing costs.

Unfortunately, as a lender I find most people only look to buy when they absolutely have to, often it's when they have a growing family and don't want to rent out other rooms, or live in a one unit of a mult-family unit.