Going direct instead of having a GC do the work will save you money too since that GC will put a percentage on top of work. 

But, they are very popular gurus and are making a lot of money teaching their "classes" and groups.

You probably don't run many applications, so I wouldn't sweat losing a little money on each one.

Quote from @Paul Whitehurst: Many will tell you to borrow money from Property A to purchase Property B, but that's known as over-leveraging and not recommended for a newer investor.

For the most part, most lenders are going to be relatively close in cost assuming we are talking about a straight forward loan product, we all borrower from the same pool of money to make these loans. 

Plus, that is the cheapest that money will ever be for you.  2.65% interest rate? 

And you probably need money for living expenses.

second was Hard money it was legal then. 

If you achieved this by paying all cash, then you are losing money. 

Being able to purchase a property with only 5% down means you can leverage your money way more effectively.