I highly regret not being further ahead of where I am currently financially to where I could provide more comfort to those I care about during their vulnerable times in their life.You see, wealth is not just about you.

Just make sure you’re comfortable with the interest rate if going either route.  

@Grant Shipman, I will say, I have not explicitly seen anyone violate these rules (that I know of), but more commonly there are a lot of people who have comfort operating at the margins.I.e. compliance officers/attorneys that stop at the letter of the law may say: "investment manager X, you can advertise your company all you want.  

If he doesn't need the cash now, you could also negotiate a split you're comfortable with to get him the return you and he feel he should have at the point you refi when the balloon payment comes due. 

I can run and model numbers and am a CPA so comfortable with the finance side of things.

Of course, there's no perfect right or wrong answer, it will be different for all but make sure you do what is comfortable for you and what fits your goals. 

My ultimate goal is to acquire enough real estate to achieve financial freedom, allowing me to travel, provide a comfortable life for my family, and teach my children about discipline, financial literacy, and the wealth-building potential of real estate.I’m here to learn, share, and connect with others who share this passion.

Get out of your comfort zone.

Get out of your comfort zone.

There is no such absolute rule or mandate for REI - it is up to you on your comfort level with your cash flow versus total investment versus appreciation potential.If I followed that rule, I would have missed out on a LOT of great opportunities over the years.We bought a house in Jones Valley in 2017 with negative cash flow - why?