People don't know the difference between whatever the heck he's doing and an actual investment company with skin the game.

It’s also water-resistant, making it great for any spills or moisture issues.

And I generally require a sponsor that has full real estate cycle experience with little to no money lost, low leverage, high skin in the game and reasonable fees and promotes.However, other investors will look at these deals as bad/too boring for them because they are more aggressive and not concerned about the risks of default, refinance, interest rates changing etc.

Quote from @Bree Jimenez: There are many ways to skin a cat, but you should choose one way and stick with it until you figure it out or learn that it's not working.

Are moisture meters used or no?

There are companies out there that have 0 skin in the game and are just referral sources and there are others who are vertically integrated so they own/manage the entire process from start to finish. 

It does not matter whether you are starting a real estate business, restaurant, car wash, or amazon commerce business - the lender will first look at you and your partner and how much skin you have in the game, your experience and the risk of the loan not getting paid. 

Potential Equity is not skin in the game. 

You should use a moisture tester on all the lumber and make sure it is dry before drywalling. 

A nice looking finished basement will go south real quick with moisture and your tenant will soon be displeased (rightfully so) about the nice basement they initially thought they had.See what the market is doing, but also consider what your specific property factors are.