And I will always be against delaying the receipt of money, no exceptions, including for tax reasons.

Selling makes agents money and the IRS if you don''t 1031, it's almost always better to re-leverage instead.

Nor am I going to try and make a commission selling you real estate or lending you money.  

Got insurance involved and use that money to remodel the entire inside, and add a new roof.

The developer makes their money on a one time developer fee of 10% of the total project cost.  

Hard money lenders are going to want you to have success and will often times help you see if your numbers are close or way off. 

My quick opinion is yes, there's money to be made as an investor, but it's not for the faint of heart (or stomach)!

Purchased for $139,999 using a mix of cash and hard money, we revamped it with modern updates, including a new kitchen, flooring, and fresh paint.The property rented for three years, generating steady cash flow of $450/month.

And even here, you still need to be "active" to research who you are lending your $$ to, and due diligence on the deal itself prior to investing your money.

I put a lot of money into my property to make them nice.