Also, you will usually need to put up some cash (skin in the game) to even place a bid on the property.

Most reputable lenders are going to want you to have some skin in the game.

Now, the lender wants to know if you have good credit, experience, etc.There may be some lendings coming back into the game that will only look at the project, but we look at the project and the person.Normally, they lender will want you to have some skin in the game.  

Tax Credits are the game here.  

Web sites for Qualified intermediaries as well as the IRS publications like 544 and the actual statute and footnotes for sec 1031.  

This will help you get some skin in the game.

Can I use this money as a down payment for a conventional product/hard money skin in the game?

Send me a PM and I can show you how to sort through the data by web scraping

Another thing is I could tell these guys were working their own deals which is good obviously because they know what they are doing, but with no skin in your game- your deals, it felt like they were kind of detached.

Anything that makes people feel they're dealing with a real person, and not a shrewd investor.3) It's a numbers game.