If your deal is worth less than what you paid for it, then yes, you may well have to bring a lot of cash to the table to refi.

Taking on deals like this that decrease wealth, such as low return high upfront cost whole life insurance, paying 19% interest on credit card debt, paying 2% annually to have a “wealth advisor” place your money in Vanguard Index Funds, paying for a high cost mortgage because you’re credit is bad, and “debt consolidation” programs are all reasons adding up to why many people can’t achieve financial independence and remain dependent on working every day to live paycheck to paycheck.There is a chance that in a particular circumstance any of these, including the program offer you describe, can be beneficial in certain specific cases.  

. - but can anybody help me brainstorm some less obvious ways I can leverage being involved at a RE agency to kickstart my investing career? 

The line of credit i took was for this property.

If you discover the bill is higher than average, then you can investigate what's making it so high.

There may be fewer opportunities, but also less competition.

The pet owners understand (and it is one less deposit to account for).

Due to this, it is less likely that we will have to compete with any new parks in West Baton Rouge in the near future.

So, if things do go sideways, it's much harder to negotiate your way through.And, provided your loan is structured properly and closed with a competent title agent, I see no greater risk working with a private lender than with a traditional one.

Action speaks louder than words.