Sure you have skin in the game with the collateral, but you have very little money in the deal.

I'm willing to put skin in the game, I just don't know what all of the options/possibilities are (until a couple weeks ago, I did not know that hard money lenders exist). 

That way from the agent, to the quote, to the management they have skin in the game and you are working with one company through the entire process.  

Private lending may work but you still need skin in the game and the interest rates are more than conventional mortgages.

I finished the drywall myself in my basement, and did the mud, tape and texture. 

I went inside and took some measurements and also a closer look at some of the repair… All of the trim needs repainted throughout the house and about 1" of wall above all of the trim needs to be textured and repainted.

Nonetheless, they will want to see your track record (most important), how much skin in the game you have and a solid business plan. 

It would still be risky if I need to cash in quickly to put skin on a deal within a short time frame.

The floors were extremely unleveled and the new flooring was already coming apart, in one unit a previous landlord spray textured over every surface of the property including the thermostat/door knobs/trim, in both units the kitchen and bathrooms were falling apart and barely above usable condition, the staircase in one unit was obviously illegal it was so steep, and the walls/ceilings in both units were a mixture of poorly cobbled together panels, cracked lathe & plaster, suspended ceilings that should have been replaced a decade ago, and entire surfaces made from something I couldn't determine.  

they have no skin in the game and nothing to lose.