Hello, I'm currently renting in Marietta, GA and my lease will be up 1/1/2018. I'm thinking about starting REI with some sort of house hacking in Atlanta area. I want to close by mid-December if the house is move-in ready, a month or two earlier if it needs significant work.

My question is about financing and timeline. I have about 20K in cash, and I'm currently saving 2K-2.5K a month after all the monthly expenses. Both my husband and I are veterans and we qualify for VA loans (and fee waivers). I've heard that banks typically don't lend for the houses that need a lot of rehabs, and it's hard to buy a good deal with VA or standard home loans. So I'm considering hard money loans, but I really have no clue about how it works.

1. Considering I want to close no earlier than October 1st, how soon should I start talking to the hard money lender?

2. Do I bring the deal first, or get the hard money loan first?

3. How long does it typically take to close with hard money?

4. Does hard money lenders lend for rehab costs too?

6. How does refinancing with VA loan works? Is there a time limit?

7. Any advice a newbie like me should consider?

I'm looking for a place within 10-15 miles from Sandy Springs with about $150K total cost.  Thank you in advance!