Real Estate Investing Blog

5 Real Estate Investment Strategies – No Money Down

Successful real estate investors can make money in any economy, in any market, but today’s super-soft real estate market can make it even easier because of the abundance of motivated sellers out there.

Here are 5 real estate investment strategies you can implement right now without using any of your own money or credit.

1.  Quick Flipping – Wholesaling

This is the classic buy low/sell low strategy and it’s the best way to make fast cash.

No Money Down Real Estate Investor

Good thing I know you don't need money or credit to be a real estate investor!

Basically, here’s how it works. You find a seller who is motivated, negotiate a low purchase price, and you both sign a purchase contract. Now you can “assign” your contract to another buyer.

For example, you contract to buy a house worth $140,000 for $100,000. You “assign” your contract to your new buyer for $15,000. You never actually “owned” the house, you never used your own money, and your credit was never an issue.

These How-To Articles explain quick flipping houses in much greater detail:

And if you’re still doubtful it can be done, here are a couple of real-life Success Stories from our visitors. If they can do it, you can too.

2.  “Subject To” the Existing Mortgage

With this strategy, you use the seller’s existing financing, taking title “subject to the existing financing.” You agree to make the seller’s mortgage payments, and the seller gives you the deed.

Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? But it’s not. Motivated people who need to get rid of their house do it every day.

Charlie Frances has done well over a hundred “subject to” deals, and she explains it much better than I ever could here:

And Marko Rubel explains how to get sellers to pay you money to take their deed:

If you’re still doubtful it can be done, here are a couple of real-life Success Stories from our visitors. If they can do it, you can too.

3.  Lease Options

A “lease option” couples a real estate “option” with a “lease” on the property.

A real estate “option” is the right to buy a property at a specific price within a specified period of time. But even though you have the right to buy, you do not have an obligation to buy the property if you chose not to exercise your option.

With a lease option, a tenant is placed in a position to ultimately own the property they are renting. The tenant makes a non-refundable deposit (called “option consideration”) for the right to ultimately buy the home. The lease option tenant also makes monthly rental payments and handles minor maintenance.

You can use this strategy to both “buy” real estate and to “sell” real estate. Here’s a lot more info:

And here are a couple of real-life Success Stories:

4.  “Soft” Private Money

5.  “Hard” Private Money

I’ll discuss these together because they are both “private” money sources that allow you to put together a real estate deal without using your own money. Here’s the difference.

Hard Money is usually much more expensive than other private money. The lender looks solely to the property for repayment, so your credit is not an issue.

The maximum loan amount is 65% of market value, the interest rate is very high (maybe the current rate plus another 8%), and you have to pay 5 to 10 “points” for the loan. Each “point” equals 1% of the loan amount.

Like I said, it’s expensive money. But it can really serve a purpose and has launched many successful real estate investing careers.

“Soft”  Private Money is usually a lot less expensive than hard money, though it may be tougher to find. Do you know people (like my dear mother) who keep their savings in CDs getting less than 2% interest? Perfect for private money. At 6%, they’re tripling their yield.

My friend, Dave Lindahl, explains the difference here:

Here’s more excellent info:

And here are a couple of real-life Success Stories:

I hope these “no money down” real estate investment strategies inspire you to get out there and do more deals! Let me know what you think in the comments box below…

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About the Author...

J. P. Vaughan founded Creative Real Estate Online in 1995 and has been the Publisher since then. She is the author of "How to Buy Your Dream House for 1/2 Price" (Quantum Publications 1994, out of print). J.P. is also an attorney who practiced law in Michigan until she started investing in real estate full time in 1988.

Comments

  1. Abdul says:

    This is a really great information.
    Do you know any title company who do double closing
    That you can refer to me? I need title company from Sacramento .
    I have talked to a few loan broker and they said it is illegal
    To do double closing. I am really appreciate and thank
    You if you can help me with this information.

    Thanks
    Abdul

  2. Blaise says:

    Thanks for using the time and effort to write something so interesting.

  3. Greetings! Extremely beneficial suggestions on this informative article! It truly is the tiny adjustments that make the greatest adjustments. Many thanks a good deal for sharing!

  4. Lisa Reapermint says:

    Thanks for the great article.

  5. Doll says:

    Going to put this arictle to good use now.

  6. Millie says:

    Kick the tires and light the fires, problem ofifcilaly solved!

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