I currently use hard money to buy and flip value add properties, along with my traditional brokerage services.

Traditionally a mentor is not a paid position and good investors  dont sell good leads. 

Conversely, if one's focus is rehabbing/flipping is it vital to be available during more traditional "business hours" to visit your projects, and work more quickly with industry professionals (contractors, lenders, etc...) 

It's hard to find a fund that isn't a REIT to get involved on a larger scale unless you are able to put the downpayment on a piece of property there, Traditionally only the large hedge funds and pensions that have been involved in this extremely unsexy (yet, cash flow liquid!)

In all, we've found the returns to be great and I think it's probably a lot easier than renting it to a traditional tenant.

Under a traditional lump-sum contract, the owner agrees to pay the developer to complete a project that is built to the owner's specifications.

We know it makes for a slow start, but we don't have the traditional 20% down nor the reserves to take on reno.

I don't flip, but from my understanding you would not use a traditional bank to get these loans unless your rehab is over 6 months, you would use a Hard Money Lender.For long term buy and hold I would leverage the duplex and buy more properties, and then I would use the profit from wholesaling and flipping to buy more properties.  

And you are competing with guys that have years of custom building experience.Finding a flip in Hamilton county is going to take a lot of digging, to find the traditional 70% ARV formula, and reselling to a retail buyer.

My focus these days is centered on more traditional investment properties (multifamily, self-storage, mobile home parks, retail, etc).