I'm getting quotes as high as $65 per board for hanging, taping, mudding, wrapped windows and orange peel finish.  

Let me explain what I mean...Traditional marketing like radio, tv, newspaper, direct mail, flyers and card decks are next to worthless and they cost too much money in most cases.  

I was only familiar with collateralized debt.So when I was lamenting the fact that I could not get money for more homes an entrepreneur friend said, “call the bank and get a signature loan”.Having never heard of this before, I called, and sure enough, IF you have good credit and income, a bank will give you $25-150K just for your signature…to go buy cars, pools and pay for stuff you don’t need.Or, you can use it to buydistressed real-estate.So, here’s where it could go bad.Don’t be stupid.Have your exit strategies.Then execute.My typical deals look like this:HUD/Homepath/VA forclosure wants $41K for a home with an ARV of $65-75K.Let’s assume it needs $10K.I start my bidding ridiculously low, so $24K, but eventually get it for $28.5K.I use “cash” and close fast and get it rehabbed in 2 months…could be faster, but that’s the average.Immediately after I close, I am looking for ways to collateralize the debt…ie REFI.Because right now, I own the home OUTRIGHT, w/ no liens.I do have this other debt not associated with the home and I want to pay it off ASAP before I have to make my first payment.I can 1) use a portfolio lender (typically 80% of receipts, then I retire the rest of the loan w/ my cash).2) Wait 6 months and use traditional financing where I have the possibility to getting all of my money out of the deal since they go off of appraisals, not receipts, typically 75% LTV.While I wait 6 months, my payments on $35K are around $500/mo.Home rents for $850, so I can do this and still pay the bills.3) flip the property to a new home owner and make 7-10K after expenses or 4) do nothing and pay the house off in 7 yrs w/ the 9% signature loan.I hear of people using hard money and the expenses associated, but for the smaller deals like these, IF you have good credit, they don’t make sense.Thoughts?

Dreams of savings down the road go away when they factor in the additional mortgage cost created by that extra upfront cost.When I was still building in Northern Idaho and put in energy efficient devices advertising them was a negative and several asked if I would take out the non traditional high efficiency tankless hot water heating system.I build to green certification standards but I am  not willing to pay the inspector for certifying them green especially since he had to approve the plans for the homes to be built.I wish you much luck and support your intent but the reality, at least in my experience, is people are willing to talk about being green but won't pay extra or go out of there way to be green if there is even the slightest hindrance to their life style.  

The amount you withdraw is still included in your taxable income if you are withdrawing from a 401k or a Traditional IRA.  

I looked into doing an FHA into a 4plex here the problem is that everything is going for cash offers or traditional financing at the worst.

I don't want to do Traditional Real Estate anymore!

I have also put just about every penny I have into this so I am definitely committed.We are currently managing about 20 properties (and growing) and every day has been a blast...even the ones where I was covered in dirt and mud after fixing the sod we just laid before the torrential rains came and washed it all away.Oh and did I mention I also serve in the Texas Army National Guard? 

Strategy by  buying the non-performing loan through new concept of  using "The carrot and the stick.Improving the Short Sales success rate , sharing the financial gain with owner who traditionally get nothing at closing. this a new concept  of resolution with the bank from the back end in a win-win-win process.

If the walls are not balloon frame and there are not too many cross-blocks, we could try to retain the inner walls and inject insulation, but the more of these we do, the less it seems to save us in the end ... the cost of drywall and mudding versus an effective air sealing and application of insulation.It has also been our experience that while materials are cheaper to air seal using poly & caulking and insulate with mineral wool, the labour required pretty much make it a wash with the cost of closed cell foam.Once we confirm our plans, I'll do a full envelope model on the house and share my results.