There are different ways of skinning this but I'll tell you what works for our Clients. 

You and your husband were very smart to ask Open Spaces good questions and not ignore the red flags that surfaced through the process. 

Hard money loans are out there, but they expect you to have skin in the game too, and some experience.  

Once complete, the investor has a property that is worth more than the purchase price + rehab costs.We've got more "skin" in the process than an RE agent as we have to rehab to get a tenant and than continue to manage the property and tenant to cashflow for the investor.This model seems to be growing in popularity with investors versus traditional turnkey.

@Barrington Smith I'd be happy to walk through this deal in more detail via phone of webinar if it would be helpful, but at the surface I have the following thoughts:- I'm unsure what T5-0 entails, I'm assuming its some kind of mixed use. 

And RealtyMogul and Fundrise don't currently offer deals that meet my personal criteria (of sponsors who have at least a full ballistic cycle of experience with little to no money lost, low leverage, fixed-rate deals, sponsors that put high skin in the game, don't take inordinate compensation etc.).

I think they need to put more skin in the game.  

That's a strong earnest.I see way too many buyers and investors trying to put like 1k or 5k down prior to close, but that is no skin in the game and will not get real sellers to move.

Once they step on the oven door, the BOILING hot pot will spill all over your poor child's head giving them 3rd degree burns that will require skin grafts if it doesn't kill them".  

Without any skin in the game the downside far out weighs upside.