Regarding an attorney, it depends what you're looking to speak with them about - i.e. entity structure, partnerships, property acquisition, contract terms, etc.Anything related to a property or a deal can wait until the week of (sometimes the day before) contract review.For starters, I would recommend attending local investor meetups.

My goal is to earn $300,000 annually so I can give $100,000 or more to charitable endeavors.Why do you need an LLC for hard money loans?

I live in California.The loan is to be in my name (credit is better).

I am pro coast CA market but no one that I am aware of claims it is a good cash flow market in the near term.  

Which is the smarter option to take financially in long term, buying a new construction or resale house as a primary residence?

Primarily when downsizing they question your occupancy intent (Claiming primary residence on a fixer upper for favorable LTV terms, with intent to convert to an investment in the short term) but everything can be worked out with proper documentation.

Anyway, the first is getting 100% payoffThe 2nd, after jumping through Coopers hoops, came back with "the short sale has been cancelled" and "this loan has been charged off by the lender"Now the 2nd hasnt been paid in 13+ years, but what happens when a 2nd is charged off?

We purchased the property in 2020 as a primary residence and then turned it into a long-term rental in 2022.

Through efficient negotiations, we secured the property for $162,000 on favorable terms.

The bank is charging points as well just to get 8+% on the loan.