Additionally I don’t want to dip into my personal primary residence rainy day fund.

I wired the funds on 2/14 so it was a pretty nerve wracking 7 days... 

I plan to self-manage these properties and intend to operate my portfolio as a business, tracking all income and expenses while avoiding the commingling of personal and business funds.

My Hard Money Lenders held the money in escrow and would not release the funds until the work was done, inspected, and they knew it was properly done. 

We are now looking to get serious about funding our retirement.

I don't have experience with the Detroit Land Bank, but generally land banks are pretty reliable, but...they are low money buys (from $1 to $1,000) that require you to show proof of funds for the rehab.

If financing is part of your strategy, consider exploring fix-and-flip loans, which are tailored to help investors like you fund both the purchase and the rehab of properties.Lastly, start small with your first project, ideally in a neighborhood where you understand the market dynamics.

With a cash out refi, your rate is fixed, but you’re also paying interest on all of those funds instead of only what you draw.

To evaluate Real esteate deals for creative financing, start by identifying seller motivations i.e. financial distress, desire for passive income, do they need a downpayment on their next house, etc  and property factors like equity or existing financing terms.

I can't help feeling like he's been stockpiling funds to eventually file bankruptcy even while he swears he's trying to straighten everyone out.