Pay Debt First or Start Real Estate Investing

Sound like you think the only way to invest is to go to a lender for money ----- you might want to use some creative financing methods to CONTROL real estate before you have to go beg a lender for money, before you pay retail for a property ----

Some ideas:

• Consider the Control and Roll method of investing - find a property (using guerrilla method of marketing), use a "skinny contract - one page - control the property, offer it at public auction. You keep the overage at settlement. You never have to own the property while walking away with cash. Do this a few times a month and you'll have enough money to pay cash for your next property. Make full disclosures.
• Try a "Front Porch Clause", tell the seller XY and Z needs to be repaired before you buy, estimate it at$15,000, tell seller to write you a check for $15,000 for the repairs, you endorse the check and give it back to him as your down payment. 
• Offer to buy the property with a 45 day study period - with right of possession - flip your contract by private treaty or public auction, assign your contract for cash.
• Ask the seller to refinance - he gets the cash, you take the property subject to his new mortgage.
• Ask the seller to take back a mortgage for 100% of the purchase price - you help him find a note buyer, sell the discounted mortgage ---- nothing down.
• Make an offer with a delayed settlement - like 6 months with the right of possession - you fix and flip during your possession.
• Have a partner with real estate (maybe some junk properties), offer those properties as a down payment..... your partner friend get an interest. Make it subject to the sale of his property.
• Create a note on something you own, offer it for a down payment on the house you want.

Hope some of these ideas will help and get you thinking that you can do deals without banks.