Remember if the materials cost is very high then you are effectively asking the contractor to front your costs to buy materials so there needs to be some balance here.Either way no harm in asking for better terms worst that can happen is that they say no and you stay in the same place.Also your PM could act as the “money handler” for you if you trust them though that would be unofficial.

Just google AirBNB Scam or Real Estate scam and you will see many people getting taken advantage of or investors harming communities.

A bad condo association can harm your investment.

If you had found an amazing deal in NC and you needed that money for the down payment, I could see that, but to me, there's no harm in leaving your 401K in place until you have a very specific use for it (like that great deal).  

Further, be careful putting another party in harms way by trying to sell an interest in a property that an imminent foreclosure.  

The tree is definitely dead and it will eventually fall (likely into my backyard, destroying the fence and possibly causing damage or harm).

The day job can also provide some fallback funds for major repairs.While we're setting stretch goals, I suppose there's no harm in going for a higher minimum cash flow!

You need more than an idea -- you need an opportunity and you need to have a competitive advantage to make that opportunity successful.Your best bet is to find someone with experience who can bring that experience to the table in order to turn your idea into an opportunity, and then you can pitch the opportunity along with some substance (your partner's experience and track record).Of course, you're going to have to prove to a partner that you actually have something to bring to the table as well...he's likely not going to consider your idea to be very valuable in and of itself.

It's only harmful if it's flaking.

I was saying that it could lead to many people doing such thing and also pointing out the lack of substance the IRS would consider that personal statement to be.