Unlike a mortgage the interest on your loan will not be tax deductible.

I've been self-employed for only 6 months, and loans are proving difficult to come by despite my great credit (not to brag, I'm moreso frustrated and seeking help).

In response to your original question, closing agents should handle private loans just like a bank loan. 

If you're looking to BRRRR/flip, I do recommend looking into hard money loans.

. - Roof was installed extremely poorly, they missed several decking boards that were soft, shingles installed either with extreme overhang or none, 1 ft dip on one side of the roof- Lots of other smaller issuesBUT Kenny is paying for everything - the extension on my hard money loan, the foundation inspection, subsequent repairs, the roofing redo, and other things in between.

Finally, someone responded on the 4th day stating they could not cancel it so I decided to wait for it rather than order a different one. 15 days later, they send me an email letting me know to expect the refund for that bedframe.

If you are moving from your SFR to another property, then you should be able to get a 5% down loan or even 3% if it's FHA.  25% is only if you won't be living in the property in my experience.

Finally, even with a substantial discount, the house may not be worth it.

(Auctions and foreclosures can also provide great leads.)With $20K, hard money loans are a practical option, as they emphasize a property’s ARV over your financial history.

Cash out should be used as a 12-24 month loan so that you can buy another property and pull cash out at the next 12th or 24th month mark.At that point you take a portion to pay off or down the first loan and use the rest as a down payment on the next REI.