By Laura Alamery
So, you want to be your own boss and do not want to put a lot of start-up capital into your venture. You have been researching which business options might be best for you and keep reading about real estate wholesaling and other strategies that allow you to make a profit in real estate investing without putting any money down or having credit checks performed.
It is not too good to be true! There are a number of different directions that real estate can take, and the no money, no credit path has many options.
- Wholesaling
- Co-wholesaling
- Subject To Sales
- Seller Financing
- Transactional
Excelling in each of these areas requires the proper knowledge, as well as the people skills necessary to grow your real estate investing business. Regardless of the real estate direction that is chosen, building solid connections with others in your community will grow your business faster than any other sales or marketing campaigns that exist.
What is Wholesaling?
Let’s start with the most important players involved in a real estate transaction. The seller, the buyer, and the person who facilitates the sale. Most commonly, the facilitator is a real estate agent. They list the property for the seller, or scout available properties for the buyer, and they most definitely need to be licensed by the state the transaction is taking place.
Real estate wholesalers act similarly, to an extent. Like agents, wholesalers are always on the lookout for sellers. Unlike agents, most wholesalers are looking for properties that are selling at a very serious discount, in order to resell it at a higher price and make a sizeable profit.
Wholesaling requires dedication and the people skills to build a comprehensive database of both sellers and buyers. And is a common niche for new (and veteran) real estate investors. The wholesaler finds the contract and either assigns the contract to a buyer at a higher price or has a double closing, meaning the wholesaler technically buys the property but then immediately resells it the same day.
Co-Wholesaling
Connecting with other wholesalers can expand both your customer list and your bank account. If you have a buyer looking for a specific property, a fellow wholesaler may have the perfect place. Generally, the wholesale fee is split between the two and both can profit from the sale.
Another advantage to co-wholesaling is that it opens your customer base to include more opportunities. Often times, wholesaling is where investors meet and connect to collaboratively purchase a property through a real estate investment trust (REIT). Working together can work wonders! Investment properties such as this are often large commercial buildings that significantly impact the community.
Subject To Sales
Subject to real estate transactions are the best option for those with no or bad credit. This agreement is between the seller and the wholesaler or investor. No down payments are made or credit checks performed, as the buyer ends up simply assuming the mortgage.
There are a few things to be aware of before entering into these types of deals. In the mortgage contract, the lender has the right to call the note due at any time, in full. Speaking with the bank before the transaction is a good idea to know where you stand going in.
Rarely does happen, as the lenders are simply happy that the loan is getting paid. This is a great example of why wholesalers are always looking for distressed properties. Homeowners have many reasons for needing to relinquish responsibility of their property. Wholesalers make the transition easy, as they already come with a list of buyers, the seller does not have to go through the hassle of listing and showing, and the sale usually happens quickly.
Seller Financing
Another great option that does not require money down or credit checks is when the seller will provide the financing. How this works is usually that the seller keeps the property in their name and the buyer simply pays the seller instead of the bank.
There is also usually an option for the buyer to make the purchase once they are in the position to make the down payment or get a mortgage of their own. Sellers like these kinds of sales because they have a steady stream of monthly income from the payments.
Transactional Funding
Here is where those relationships that you have been building are going to come into play. Bank loan officers are a necessity to wholesalers and their relationship should be as important as the buyers and sellers.
A great example of when transactional funding will come in handy are bank owned and short sale properties. These properties often sell at bargain prices and a substantial profit can be made. Unfortunately, these sellers do not allow assignment of the contract or double closings, and do require cash at the end of the deal.
Finding Your Place in the Real Estate Investing World
Real estate can be overwhelming and finding the niche that works best for you is important to maintaining a successful and lucrative business. Once the journey begins, so many doors will open with possibilities of avenues to pursue.
The options outlined here are some of the most common areas for new real estate investors. Once a few sales have taken place it will be easier to determine which speciality is right for you. A very big part of real estate investing is relying on your intuition and listening to where you feel most comfortable will only help build your business, portfolio, and bottom line.
Enlisting the help of experienced investors, and finding a mentor who wants to help, can catapult your business into the next level. There are so many things to learn when it comes to real estate, and while much of it is simply learning by experience, there are options to make it easier. The knowledge of those veteran investors and agents is invaluable and learning from their mistakes can save you many.
Start building your real estate investment portfolio with little to money down, with no credit checks, by following these noted strategies. And watch your business take off!
