One thing that stands out is that they all have specialized and focus on a niche. 

@Jason MalabuteWe recorded a podcast with Ivan about six months ago, and although he may have used bridge financing in a couple deals, the way he's scaled his company and the fact that he is vertically integrated gives me the feeling that thesis going to be in this business for the long term, and focuses heavily on operations.Here's a link to his show --> https://jakeandgino.com/real-estate-wisdom-lessons-from-ivan...Gino

Most focus on the sale, not the relationship.The second reason most people don't work with BP agents is because of their behavior.

I would focus on getting a solid job/career then going into a house hack. 

I'm a wholesaler and flipper focused in SE Idaho.

Some investors focus on a target profit instead of strict percentages.As for hard money, it does reduce profit, but it allows you to scale faster and keep your cash for other deals.

Tough environment to focus on studies. 

Since your goal is lowering monthly payments for better cash flow, it might be worth focusing on reducing expenses elsewhere or exploring other investment strategies.

Quote from @Premraj Jeyaprakash: I'm exploring potential opportunities in short-term rentals (STR) in West Virginia, with a particular focus on glamping.

And if your investor friend’s private loan helps fill in any gaps, it might be worth considering that short-term pain for long-term stability.What do you think you’d focus on first... paying off that line of credit as fast as possible or jumpstarting the renovation to boost cash flow right away?