Sounds like people have issues with the interest rates around hard money lending. Hard money lending may allow you to move faster but you have to understand that there's a trade-off. We have not had a need for hard money lending. We used cash-out refinance on our properties that experienced great appreciation while the tenants paid down the mortgage. We were able to benefit substantially without losing the equity in our properties. The properties have continued to increase in value.
The rent covers the mortgage, insurance, taxes, property management fees, and maintenance. We could easily take advantage of cash-out refinance again in the future. If rents come down we are not overleveraged. We don't own 100 properties and we didn't need 100 properties to achieve financial independence. In the end, real estate investing works best when you choose the investment vehicles that allow you to achieve your personal goals. Take advantage of what works for you and leave the rest.
Rob