Also I think once we actually bite and own something and our skin is in the game, the rest of the gang will take this a lot more seriously.  

They are however allowed to accept securities, up to 10% equity in the issuer, as compensation for their services.There's plenty of talk about how platforms prefund projects and have skin in the game...

Sorry to be the bearer of a less than ideal response, but it's not usually that simple if you are going to have no skin in the game. 

I did not have a lot of resources at the time to do anything except hang on by the skin of my teeth and rent out the tired home with the most minimal of repairs at a lower than market rate.  

Matthew Forbes is your 10800 assuming 100% financing usually they want skin in the game.

You're going to need a thick skin and a great team to make it work over the long run.

The first will be well secured at 80% of the current market value as long as the buyer has at least 10% real skin in the game.

So just to clarify, even with the hard money route and all those associated fees that come along with it, I would still be able to get the deal done with $20,000 "skin in the game" and yield a profit?

I suggest you grow thick skin and count yourself lucky if she moves in 30 days.

A seller that doesn't want a buyer to have any skin the game is wanting to get out of a very bad situation.