I'm willing to help this person in any way I can.

You’re still going to be personally sued when something goes wrong. 

While I am a lender, I personally use hard money on all of my own investment projects.

The answer is its personal preference.

Can confirm Joseph is a real person 

Institutional investors and hedge funds may allocate more capital to private lending platforms, leading to better loan products and increased liquidity.

When I asked why I was paying for a service fee during a period where I never turned on service, the customer service person explained that even if I didn't have service turned on, and there was no usage, there is a monthly fee for the line that runs from the street to my house so that when I reconnect, they don't have to rip up the ground and put in a new line.To me this sounded ridiculous and the power and gas companies are not charging any such fees. 

I am particularly interested in learning about finding good deals, budgeting for renovations, and avoiding common pitfalls. if anyone has any advice, recommended resources, or personal experiences to share, I'd really appreciate it! 

Personally I will not work with them specifically due to this fee.

Other companies have come in person to do it.Every year, I get new 4-point inspections on ALL of my properties and send to my agent to re-shop my insurance rates.