You will probably lose much more than that in the fight and probably won't prevail.The wholesaler is asking for the $5K from the rehabber so he knows the rehabber has some skin in the game.

I make sure my borrower has plenty of skin in the game.

Investors invest because of trust in you regardless of having financial skin in the game.  

I would suspect like most HML that do MI deals they will be pretty conservative on valuations and want some skin in the game.

He laughed, reminding me I hadn't any "skin in the game" since he was proposing to fund the deal 100% so what was I so worried about if we paid a little higher price if it meant "getting the deal". 

An asset-based private or HM lender would be most interested in the subject property CMV and ARV(moreso) then how much skin the game you have and sometimes they are concerned with how experienced you are.

But the vast majority of those that immediately meet me and beg me to coach them or to be a student, I say, NO to.Just this week 3 people asked me, but I told them, show up, network, prove your dedication to this, then maybe after we will discuss a coach/student relationship.That ADHD is also why I don't take on INTERNS> Most just waste my time.Yes, we all are ok with Banks, etc requiring Skin in the game, but you want me to give my time freely to someone.

A fix n flip or hard money loan will require between 10-20% down or maybe some combination of seller carry back and your own skin in the game up to 25% in the deal.

They typically want to see some "skin in the game".

the downside to realtors is they have ZERO skin in the game.