Hi BiggerPockets community,I’m a rookie investor preparing for my first rental and looking for guidance on funding options, as well as potential connections with private lenders.Quick background:W-2 income: Physical therapist (stable, long-term employment)Credit: StrongDTI: 0 (all car loans paid off)Dependents: NoneStrategy: Buy-and-hold rentalMarket: Out-of-state investingExperience: First deal / rookieTarget deal range (flexible):Purchase price: ~$50k–$150kEstimated rehab (if applicable): ~$10k–$40kTotal capital needed: ~$70k–$190kGoal: Conservative, cash-flowing long-term rentalI’m currently evaluating different funding paths and feeling stuck despite having strong personal finances:- Personal loans: I qualify but prefer not to use them due to potential credit impact and limited scalability.- Portfolio loans: I’m interested but unsure how to approach local banks or credit unions, especially as an out-of-state investor.- Private money: I’m actively learning how private lending works and what terms typically make sense for a first-time investor.My long-term goal is to supplement and eventually reduce reliance on my W-2 income, transitioning to part-time physical therapy while building a sustainable rental portfolio.I’d appreciate insight on:- Funding structures that make sense for a first-time investor- Whether portfolio loans are realistic for out-of-state rentals- What private lenders typically look for when working with a rookie borrower- How to structure a low-risk, lender-friendly first dealI’m conservative, numbers-focused, and interested in long-term lending relationships rather than one-off deals.

Every woman over the age of 30 that I know loves using red light therapy so a chromotherapy shower should be nice amenity to hopefully get some attention.

An individual with a physical address that would open/scan or forward the mail received from the City would work.

Here’s our current reality: We’re not physically in the US, so we can’t personally oversee renovations or react instantly on-siteWe don’t qualify for conventional financing and rely on hard money lenders (around $13K all-in per deal, including interest + origination)We’re not present in REIA meetups or local investor communities, where wholesalers, contractors, and key operators naturally connectBecause we’re remote, we can’t confidently “self-manage” or optimize rehab costs the way a local investor can  Because of this, we feel we need larger spreads to justify a flip.

The money is in the money the physical bricks and order of real estate is just a way of securing the money and justifying the loan. there's a lot of times I create a note and mortgage with my own money and then once it's up and running and performing, I sell it off to an investor for their self directed IRA or 401(k) because now it has a track record of paying, and it is a low loan to value paying 12% or more interest only. investors love these because they have all of the benefits of cash flow and real estate without dealing in toilets, tenants and trash. the downfall to dealing in notes is the investor actually has to have money to invest and it's not part of the no money down deal crowd.

Physical book right on the coffee table. 

Value was created through speed, certainty, and market insight rather than physical improvements.

The physical address is correct, but the address on their website back end is wrong.

What makes this more confusing is that: The property appears to have sufficient frontage and lot space to add a driveway and/or carportFrom a physical standpoint, adding parking does not seem difficultYet the seller still chose not to cure the issue and is now selling  In addition: This seller has 5–6 properties that were all cited for code compliance, and they are now selling all of them below market  My questions for the group: Has anyone dealt with garage-to-bedroom conversions tied to parking or occupancy violations?

(Where are all my physical stackers at!?)