There are a lot of alternatives to using the big banks, that are available when you know what the alternative sources are looking for. 

Many cities are seeing a widening gap between wages and home prices, making them “impossibly unaffordable.”
https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/mapping-housing-u...
(Wages just haven't gone up fast enough to ...

Sober living can indeed be a solid alternative, especially in areas with strict short-term rental regulations.If you’re looking for experienced operators in Los Angeles County, you might want to connect with Dr.

I was also looking into the Military Choice loan at Navy FCU.

@Sherman Cummings - In addition to Housing Choice Vouchers ("Section 8"), many locations have other voucher and housing subsidy programs.

Like any alternative investment, you need to look closely at the management team, business stability, track record, and asset diversification.

At one property in Delaware, we drill a well and hit water at 8 feet, obviously not a good area for a basement.A third alternative is to build a house on a slab, cheaper than a basement and don't have issues with moisture issues. 

I would great appreciate more info in order to make a more educated choice.

Retail purchases without a value add with traditional financing requires patience to have cash flow as an LTR.Seeing the purchase has already made, you will not be getting a desperate seller to sell off market below market price or good alternative financing.That leaves- value add: for you first effort you likely will not be adding much value in excess of costs.

Alternatives—Other strategies you’ve used to scale beyond “refi → deploy” quickly?