Bet they're making their car payments (walking sucks! 

My humble advice to anyone attempting to do creative finance is:Creative finance is for experienced investors who have access to capital if anything goes wrong.Learn the lawsDon't use a contract "off the internet", laws vary by state and are also regulated on a federal levelLearn the financing techniques correctlyDon’t skip parts of the processDon’t ever do a “kitchen table” closingUse the proper deedAn attorney can help you with the legal work, but the rest you are on your ownYour guru will not bail you out“Investing” in someone else’s deal by providing a small 2nd loan so the “investor” can pay for “cash to the seller” and for “closing costs” so he can do the deal is a very bad planKnow what problems can ariseLearn the responses and solutions to problems before they are neededKnow everything there is to know about Title and what that meansKnow who a "protected class" individual isLearn the "back doors"Learn human natureUnderstand timelinesUnderstand regulation enforcement (some of these "mistakes" have a 10 year statue of limitations ( they can charge you 10 years AFTER you do the transaction) and carry hefty fines and possible imprisonmentThe court doesn't accept "I didn't know" for an answer"Know that the source of the lead plays a serious role in some states and federallyKnow how much of a "profit" pushes the boundaries to invite an investigationYou can be sued by the seller if you don’t do things correctlyYou are automatically at fault if an investigator or attorney or regulator gets involved.

And while I agree that debt is often the cheapest form of capital, if you are looking at a project that involves some form of value-add business plan, you can always refi either when rates come down or you have increased the yield on the asset to exceed your interest rate.But like Stuart noted, for many groups, even the most seasoned syndicators, raising call cash for their deals is effectively impossible.  

This issue, if caught early, is probably fixable with out insurance involvement because the deductible might be more than the repair cost.  

An experienced broker with lots of choices at the palm of their hand is probably the best bet.

Would love to get more involved in investing in the great state of SC.

Unless you are unknowledgable, my bet is you could make more from rent than sale, and still have the benefits of owning the original home while you go do something else.The 25K you have left in property will be netting you(gross) of $350 mo or 4200 per year.

As mentioned by @Chris Mason, Bridge Loans: These short-term loans can provide immediate financing until more traditional financing becomes available or until the property stabilizes and becomes more attractive to lenders.Interest rates and stipulations may be a pain.Out of the box here and requires a few more research, SBA Loans: Small Business Administration loans can be an option, especially the SBA 7(a) loan program, which can be used for hotel acquisitions.I heard someone  mention - Mezzanine Financing: it involves a combination of debt and equity financing, which might appeal to some investors looking for higher returns.

., deductions, 1031 exchanges), could potentially outweigh your current W-2 salary over time.Suggest a trial period for the first deal, involving him in decisions to build trust and confidence in the process.

I'm at a stage where I really just want to get involved and start buying properties.