Asking because I'm at the beginning of my real estate journey.Finding the right lender can be tough—especially when the deal requires creative or highly tailored financing for the investor.How do brokers or consultants source these lenders if they don’t already have personal connections?

But that approach leaves out critical numbers that can make or break your cash flow.Some key metrics I always factor in:✅ Cap rate – How profitable is this property compared to its value?

Our vendors will need to source from elsewhere which will drive the cost up as others also switch there sourcing to a limited vendor base. 

Fee was agreed on prior to starting sourcing.

While utilizing BiggerPockets' "Picking a Market" worksheet, I've encountered challenges in gathering current and comprehensive data for smaller cities and towns in this area.​Specifically, I'm looking to fill in metrics such as:​Population Growth​Median Household Income​Wage/Income Growth​Unemployment Rate​Job Growth​Homeownership Rate​Median Age​Median Sale Price (including YoY and 5-year price growth)​Housing Inventory​Median Rent (including YoY and 5-year rent growth)​Rent-to-Income & Rent-to-Price Ratios​I've attempted to source this information from platforms like the U.S.

I use a number of different sources for market numbers. 

Thanks in advance for your wisdom.Best,ShaunLenders (Private, Hard Money, Traditional)- It is necessary to start establishing relationships with more than one source of capital early.Attorney (Real Estate, Probate, Estate Planning)- Necessary to close deals and also a source of opportunities; also necessary to properly structure your businessRealtor (Commercial, Residential)- Partner with your realtor for listed and off market dealsArchitects- Not needed right away, but eventually a must-haveProperty Finders/Wholesalers- Source of dealsTax Advisory- Not necessary right away

Before committing to a purchase, it’s critical to run the numbers carefully to ensure that the deal makes financial sense, factoring in purchase costs, renovation expenses, holding costs, and projected resale value.Building a reliable team is essential for a successful flip.

The source and amount of water penetration may not be observable at the time of inspection. 

There are plenty of banks out there offering 75-80% LTC financing which are more cost effective capital sources than hard money loans.