If I ran a bank, I'd want skin in the game.

If a lender offers a deal where the borrower has little skin in the game or just "sweat equity" they are not giving you a loan, they are buying your project which likely you will be removed from shortly.

They all (in my experience) require the borrower to have some skin in the game.

The other thing you can ask for is a cosigner from someone with better credit.Usually they move on to another landlord with lower standards but I have people jump through my hoops and with the extra "skin in the game" they have been better than average tenants.

I understand wanting folks to have skin in the game, but I have never understood why folks with the capacity to do otherwise borrow hard money at 65% LTC.

Using HML you will need skin in the game.Conventional requires 20-30% down if the property (and your credit) is even bankable.

I can bring in around 10% of costs as skin in the game.

Because they have no skin in the game.

All rooms infested with bed bugs of all sizes,people wake up with poison ivy type skin condition.

In addition, you need to make sure you are saving money for a down payment if you do not have one already, because almost anyone who would be willing to lend to you will require you to have some skin in the game.