Even if these relationships don't go anywhere, you'll get a lot from just having a couple of calls.Next I would try to find some local investment groups/communities and try to chat with as many investors as you can to get an idea how other's started out in your market.

Often times, folks find what they feel is a great deal, then work backwards, hoping the market is good enough for them to cashflow.Beyond a broader market, I would look for specific attractions where you can see the historical data of yearly visitors.

Building relationships with investor-friendly agents and local REI meetups can also open doors to deals and resources.

The absolute best way is to have your own money...2nd best is having a personal relationship with someone who just backs whatever you say...3rd best is having a PL relationship that allows you to make all cash offers and 7 day closes4th best is having a HML that can close fast, within 2 weeks5th best is a big box HML that is reliable, but with their pipeline you are looking at 30 days, maybe longer to close6th option is your credit is messed up and you have to engage with an off beat lender/broker who knows that will gauge you on origination for your bad credit. 

I’m open to private lending relationships or joint venture partnerships. 

But we also take a rifle approach with a select group we have strong relationships with the kind where either side can pick up the phone and potentially make a deal happen quickly.If you're operating on a smaller scale or taking a very targeted approach, I’d lean toward the rifle method.

If this is not something you're interested in delving into and learning to a high degree, then investing in publicly traded REITs would be another good option for you, which have historically returned about 13.5 per cent Per year over the past 50 years (1977-present), beating the US stock market by two per cent and even beating private real estate investing by 4 per cent (that's compared with the average real estate investor, not the experts here at Bigger Pockets).

Because a great tenant is worth their weight in gold.If your resident pays on time, maintains the unit, and causes no drama, a small rent increase could sour a perfectly good relationship.

Good luck locking in your first flip.This post does not create a CPA-Client relationship.

I financed this deal through a local credit union I had a long-standing relationship with.