Wow Henry, I love that approach.I am just about to get my son on my credit card to start building him a credit score, but the idea of sending your sons to buy stuff and letting them learn life lessons is inspiring! 

Here are some considerations:Pros of Using a Hard Money Lender:Speed: Compared to standard lenders, hard money lenders can provide quicker approval and financing processes, which lets you take advantage of time-sensitive possibilities.Flexibility: It may be simpler to obtain financing if HMLs are more accommodating when it comes to credit history and property condition standards.Access to Funds: You may take advantage of more investment opportunities by having quicker access to the equity in your property.Experience: For first-time investors in particular, certain hard money lenders offer invaluable experience and advice that can be helpful in navigating the fix and flip process.Cons of Using a Hard Money Lender:Greater Costs: Hard money loans might have interest rates and other costs that are greater than those associated with standard financing sources, which raises the project's total cost.Term Length: HMLs normally provide loan durations that are shorter, usually lasting between six months and a few years.

@Seth VendelboeI also suggest speaking to local banks and credit unions.

And I assume they will allow poorer individuals the tax credit too, not just folks who can afford the $5 latte but are living in their parents basement.

.- Hard Money lender: 90% purchase LTV, 100% Rehab, 11.5%, I/O- Commercial Line of Credit on the funding gap: $13.6k (DP), $12k (CCs) , $15k (Rehab 1st phase) + Carrying Costs = $50kProfit will likely be $15-20k, depending on the rehab and sales price.I continue to learn from others and have gained my experience over the past 18 years as a RE investor.

Would it be advisable to sell one of the investment properties to finance this, or should I explore using a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC)?

The mere fact that someone is EVEN willing to take on such a small task in the first place -- there is value in that and of course they are only going to do it, if you make it worth it to them.

Of course except when it's not a great deal.

This house is conveniently located near coffee shops, dry cleaners, playgrounds, sit-down restaurants, art galleries, scenic Shawnee Park, the Shawnee Golf Course, Kroger grocery store, banks, museums.

We have been very sweet to these tenants - we rented them home when they had no credit history, we fixed every problem they reported(and they reported every small thing they noticed), we took care of them when the kitchen was non functional for a couple of days.