If you really want some skin in the game super early in the process, you are allowed to charge at-cost for running credit.So you do actually have THREE opportunities to collect $$$ skin in the game (2 of which are profit-neutral, granted), and you are free to freeze-frame the entire process until you get that investment from the borrower in the process:- When running credit.- When ordering an appraisal.- At closing/funding. 

And have "skin in the game" and not take large upfront fees and large carried interest/waterfalls/etc...and not just close it successfully (which many people can do) but actually meet or exceed their projected returns and feel confident that they can do it???  

You can invest your fees into the project to show a portion of the skin in the game etc. to lenders.

@Greg Lindor When lending someone money for a flip, or any deal for that matter, there should always be at least some skin in the game on the other side. 

I'd love to find some type of online investment club where everyone else has as much skin in the game as me so I know they're not going to take risky deals.

I screen the tenants (background and credit checks) and make them pay for the screening as an "application fee" which makes them have a little skin in the game.  

They have low skin in the game and it doesn't cost much to send a lead.

Banks always want some skin in the game - adding more down will do that, but they will still assess the borrower in terms of risk.

A sociopath doesn't feel guilt, neither does a crook or a predator.It's not about how thick your skin is, how well you take rejection, it's about having a little respect for others.Too many in this business lack ethics, some have none.

Here are my advice: always be 1st lien, make sure borrower has skin in the game, have all legal loan documents to protect your money, private money rate is between 9 to 15%, plus 2 to 5 points depends on borrowers experience.