Does anyone have a bank that loves new construction spec, makes it easy, and has good terms? 

Long term financing will require a minimum of 20% down on an investment property.

She has an investor-friendly brokerage in Denver that works with a lot of short-term rental investors.

Prepayment penalties- usually 1-5 year terms.

What are the loan terms?  

And real estate does go up in value over the LONG term, but can drop over the short term, and that isn't good if you're forced to sellGino

If you're looking for a long term business associate, in my personal opinion it is best to team up with someone that you want to make rich.

For a $300,000 property, this could be $6,000 to $15,000.Mortgage on Rental Property:Loan Amount: $240,000 (assuming 80% financed at 4% interest over 30 years).Monthly Payment: Approximately $1,145.Other Expenses:Property Taxes: Estimated at 1.5% of property value annually ($4,500).Insurance: Estimated at $1,500 annually.Maintenance: Estimated at 1% of property value annually ($3,000).Property Management Fees: Assuming 10% of monthly rental income ($2,400 annually if rent is $2,000 per month).Vacancy and Turnover Costs: Estimated at 5% of annual rental income ($1,200).Total Initial Investment and Annual Operating ExpensesInitial Investment:Total Borrowed from Equity: $150,000Down Payment for Rental Property: $60,000Closing Costs for Rental Property: $10,500 (average)Total Initial Cash Outlay: $70,500 (initial investment from equity) + $10,500 (closing costs)Annual Operating Expenses:Property Taxes: $4,500Insurance: $1,500Maintenance: $3,000Property Management Fees: $2,400Vacancy and Turnover Costs: $1,200Total Operating Expenses: $12,600 annuallyExpected ReturnRental Income:Assuming $2,000 per month, annual rental income = $24,000.Net Operating Income (NOI):Annual Rental Income: $24,000Minus Annual Operating Expenses: $12,600NOI: $11,400Debt Service:Mortgage Payment on Rental Property: $1,145 per month, $13,740 annually.Total Debt Service: $13,740 (rental property) + $8,592 (equity loan) = $22,332 annually.Net Cash Flow:NOI: $11,400Minus Debt Service: $22,332Net Cash Flow: -$10,932 annually (negative cash flow initially due to high debt service).Cash-on-Cash ReturnInitial Cash Investment: $70,500Net Cash Flow (first year): -$10,932Cash-on-Cash Return: Not applicable initially due to negative cash flow.Long-Term Appreciation and AdjustmentsProperty Appreciation:Assuming a 3% annual appreciation, the property value could increase by $9,000 annually.Rent Increases:Assuming a 2% annual rent increase, rental income will rise, improving cash flow over time.

People have already provided great input, so I will touch on your comment your wife said.You really need to sit down with her and explain the short term and long term goals.

My Idea is to start with fix and flips to make some “quick” profits and then use that profit to get into more long-term, cash flowing investments.