I have tenants already lined up whom I've sourced online, through word of mouth, etc that are moving to the city for work and willing to pay the rents I intend to charge, so I just need to close and get them touring asap. 

Hi Steven, the best hard money lender will meet the following:1. be willing to work with you (ie lend you the money)2. give you the best rate and terms3. require minimum paper work from you 4. minimum collateral5. they have deep pockets Once you find a good hard money lender, make sure you treat them right.

Network as well and go to local real estate meet ups.For funding: you can HELOC, find a private lender to lend you 20% down, find a capital partner, or just live below your means for a little while and save till you have the 20% down (can go higher or lower than 20%, but 20% is generally required for fix&flips & BRRRR loans if not going conventional).

Couldn’t find reviews for them online, but he denied requiring any nda’s. 

Also check for two means of egress in that basement you want to convert because fire code will require it.

I usually start with something like this:“We require a 550+ credit score as well as a current job paystub or a co-signer who meets these requirements.

You would have ongoing filing requirements with the State and would need to keep business records and documentation.

I don't want to change our software for accounting / management because I have another LLC that requires quickbooks. 

I offer a monthly fee program for clients like yourself and no AUM is required.  

As a broker, I'm always trying to find the best deal for the specific client and property.If you are looking for local private money lenders, your local real estate investment groups might have some leads for you as well.Most institutional private lenders are going to need an appraisal/valuation of the property, and permits to be issued for the construction of the building (if your area requires it).