The confidence I gained from closing on that first deal is invaluable. 

I am aware that hard money could be an option, but with the shorter terms on those types of loans, I don't feel confident that I could pay that back in time (on top of the mortgage) with the only source of income from that property being the monthly cash flow.

The owners of the restaurant know me well, and if i have any problems, I will be confident to talk with them.

Whether your sponsor is holding onto refinancing strategies or capital buffering in their toolkit, they should be transparent on how the asset is securitized or leveraged to handle risk in a downtrend.At Rev Projects, we take a conservative approach with our underwriting so that we can confidently enter a new project.

The local leadership specifically doesn't inspire much confidence that they can weather this storm. 

I feel confident about making a smart purchase, and I am looking to purchase my first rental property.I came across a duplex.

Because of this, I have been drawn to hard money as a way to initially fund my first deal.I have read Brandon Turner’s book on Investing in Real Estate with No (and Low) Money Down and feel pretty confident with several different methods of creative financing.

As long as you've done your research and feel confident in the numbers, you should be good.

Assuming you are looking to become a real estate investor, I don't think a degree in real estate is a requirement but it could definitely boost your confidence in jumping in real estate.

From a practical point if they ever pursued it....they have not done anything with the space, obviously they are not paying any royalties to the owner, so I’d confidently argue they have abandoned the agreement/space.