This is to insure that I, the investor, has "skin in the game" so to speak, makes sense.

I love that you have skin in the game and are taking steps to be thoughtful in your responsibility as a builder to provide more functionality and outdoor space for future tenants. 

As @Taylor L. mentioned lenders often want to see the GP have some skin in the game besides loan guarantees. 

So what I was thinking (say the numbers make sense) that we find a private/hard money lender, put a small down payment so that we have skin in the game too not just the lender, increase the interest rate so it’s beneficial to the lender, rehab the duplex, and increase rental price, then refinance in 1 year having a background of tenants to show the bank, and to pay back the lender so it’s a short term investment.What do you guys think?

It's basically a lifetime surface unless you damage it.

Made it to settlement by the skin of my teeth (debt to income ratio was excellent) after being underwritten twice.

I pressure washed off the black moss on the brick in the back of the house and back patio along with all other concrete surfaces which made it look new.

Know that sometimes the roofs are not typical, 2 of mine did not have a plywood type of layer on the surface. 

Focus on meeting other passive investors who actually put skin in the game. - Did it meet expectations?

Cindy,One way to skin this cat: have the tenants contract with a moving company (or maybe even the contractor) to include moving the contents into storage and back into the room.