What's holding me back is that I am a risk manager by trade, so I tend to think in terms of mitigating potential risks.

But per lot it will cost roughly the following:$1,500 Electrical poles, meter installation $2,000 water taps and connections$5,000 grading and land prep$8,000 septic installation (assuming a 1:1 ratio of homes to 1000 gallon septics)$5,000 down payment on each home ($700-750 / thereafter per unit)$21,500 total set up x 17 = $365,000Ongoing expenses after development would look something this for POH model: $12,750 a month in mobile home mortgages (17 x 750 for PITI on each unit) $1,900 a month in land mortgage PITI (house) $3,000 a month landscaping$2,000 a month in reserve emergency fund$2,200 management$21,850 a month total expenses $262,200‬/yearOngoing incomes after development would look something this for POH model:$27,000/month ($1500 x 18 {17 mobile homes plus house})$324,000/year324k-262,2k = 61,800 net pre-tax profit or $5,150/month.Opportunities to reduce start up expenses: Bulk deals with the government or contractors for doing all the work at once (electrical, water, land grading, septic) Trade free rent for someone to mow and landscape (turning a $3k event into a $650 event every month).

I fear the consequences of many doing deals like the former. 

I would even venture to guess that it is not a simple letter to the lender or trade that gets a lien release.   

@Carlos Handler it sounds like you need to trade in some of your equity for cash flow, this will probably require reducing some of the leverage that you have and buying in a different market.

It's called the law of unintended consequences and law makers do this all the time trying to regulate businesses they don't understand.

Instead, there will be unintended consequences that will negatively impact the very people they claim to be for. 

You will never lose more money than you will skimping on these two trades in your portfolio.

Unfortunately, nobody will give you something for nothing...That said, I would suggest working on creating the value you can trade for the other piece of the deal (either money or the REALLY good deal).

Spend ever holiday and summer working for trades right now.