Expenses include utilities, maintenance (3-5% of rental income), and capital expenditures (3-5% of rental income), and vacancy.

You'll be in a better position than not by utilizing any of these resources.

Lenders will want to verify this with monthly rental lease payments, utility bill, or a LOE from a relative if you live rent free. 

I utilize a brokerage account with wiring capabilities for my idle hard money capital with idle cash placed in short term t-bills currently yielding around 5.3-5.4 %.

Buy or inherit and hold all their lives while working the properties for income.I've seen teachers, firemen, software engineers and all sorts of people utilize both strategies successfully.

FYI we are utilizing Short Term Shop in the process, so far the team has been great!

I know it is too late at this point but should you find yourself in this position in the future I would utilize the 1031 exchange option.

Are borrowers who utilize these funds typically involved in flipping properties?

But not including utilities, HOA fees, etc.I do plan on doing moderate, functional theming and a game/theater room.

The times we have had clients utilize TAS over the last few years was primarily COVID relief related, where involving TAS helped get an issue resolved very quickly.