How did you finance your first deal?

[Christina Edmunds]

As a rookie investor who currently doesn't have enough money to even afford a down payment on a cheap house (my boyfriend and I just moved into a cheaper rental, though, so hopefully that will help), I'm curious what you all did to get your first deal. Give us juicy details! If you used a partner, where did you meet them, and how did you convince them to partner with you? Or, what kind of loans did you make use of? Did it work well, or did you run into trouble?