You've seen the real estate guru advertisements for books, DVDs, programs, seminars, and mentoring coaches promoting no-money-down deals. Perhaps you've watched the infomercial on TV with the people telling their stories of how they made millions investing in real estate with no-money-down and cash back to the buyers.

Maybe you, like me and many others, have purchased books or expensive systems based on these no-money-down and lease-option investing schemes. Here's the rest of the story.

Perhaps you've seen an ad in your local newspaper offering a home with 100% financing from the seller or a lease option. You should know that the investor offering these types of deals makes money by purchasing the property at a discount and selling the property for an inflated price.

Lease-option real estate investors play the odds. They bet that most people won't be in a position to purchase the lease-option home in a year. So the investor seeks a hopeful tenant to make higher than average rental payments, pay more move-in cash, and make the investor's mortgage payment. Those tenants who do eventually purchase the home paid much more for the home than the investor. Many tenants never come up with a new mortgage loan to purchase the property when the time runs out. Either way, the real estate investor makes money.

First-Time Home Buyers

If you need to buy your first home to live in, these home-purchase methods may help you if you have terrible credit and can clean it up in time to finalize the purchase in a year. Just understand that you're paying too much for the property and may not make any money on appreciation. On the other hand, if you have strong credit, you can purchase a bargain house with no money down legitimately.

Tips for Beginning Real Estate Investors

Don't buy overpriced property! Avoid 100% investor-financed "deals." You will have to wait too long to make any money. Plus, the rental income most likely won't come close to making the mortgage payment for you.

Don't waste your money buying real estate guru books, DVDs, programs, seminars and mentor-coach promoting no-money-down deals. Would you buy a book on how to make a fortune on the Internet that was written in 1995?

These out-of-date, no-money down schemes, tell you to look for home sellers in distress who will let you buy their home for no-money down with the seller financing the property for you. This system worked last century. Today's home sellers know that they can get a buyer who can get their own financing.

Plus, today's home sellers know that other sellers have lost money selling with no-money down. They've heard the stories where home sellers didn't get paid and had to foreclose on a property. They've heard the stories where the investor-buyer rented the house to tenants who trashed the property. They've heard the stories where the investor-buyer collected the rent and didn't pay the home seller.

To get started building wealth in real estate today:

1. Get your credit ready for mortgage financing. (Mortgage credit differs from consumer credit.)

2. Buy right. Don't overpay for deals that sound too good to be true. These schemes are too good to be true!

3. Guard your money. Don't get yourself in over your head with high mortgages on rental properties that cause you negative cash flow and jeopardize your financial well-being. The best way to do this is to make sure you get the best mortgage rates on a bargain-priced property.

You can buy investment property for little — or even no-money down. Get started by buying your home or a second home. Real estate investing offers you the most tried and true way to build wealth when you avoid investing schemes.

Copyright © 2005 Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved. (You may publish this article in its entirety with the following author's information with live links only.)

Jeanette Fisher loves to help first-time home buyers and beginning real estate investors. Free ebook, Credit Tips for Mortgage Financing. http://www.recredithelp.com For the best "beginner's real estate investing book" see http://www.doghousetodollhousefordollars.com

When we refer to the term "alternative investment" we tend to think of anything that is NOT real estate or the stock market since these are seen as the traditional investment mediums.

But they are far from ideal as methods for rapid wealth creation. Real estate is by far the better of the two and if approached creatively, can be an incredible source of rapid wealth.

But there is another centre of wealth creation, rarely talked about. Never spoken about but truly the pinnacle of fast fortunes. Its the one product that can be invested in that cannot be lost. It costs nothing to buy, but can be resold again and again for massive profits every time.

This one alternative investment product I have personally invested in has brought me more wealth in the last 5 years, then I could carry in a convoy of trucks.

We all know (or should know) that alternative investments are where the Rocket money is. Its where the jet fuel is. Finding investments with supercharged potential is the most astonishing way to make millions fast. They say its where the risk is too, but I doubt the keepers of this wisdom have ever invested in a hot lunch, much less understand their own words.

The one alternative investment product that drives fortunes into the hands of ordinary people cannot be lost or stolen. Its not kept in a bank safe and its rarely even insured for its valuable properties.

The product Im about to name is more safe, once you have invested in it and returns more yield and money into your pockets then 1000,000 shares of enron and the entire value of the stock market combined.

The product Im talking about is YOU. Specifically your capacity to see what others cannot see. Your learned skills to apply value to objects that others don't value. Thats as far as I'll go, Im not writing war and peace here, its just a short article.

When you develop a few simple skills based on a few simple insights, your investment will be complete. The yields are astronomical.

My very best to you.

Jack Reynolds' was a broke Insurance salesman only 2 years ago, today he owns assets valued at several million dollars. What did Jack do in 24 short months? You can read about Jack's remarkable and rapid transformation and download Hayden's famous book "The Million Dollar Mentor" by clicking here

Ever since I was a kid, I played with vision. I saw things as they were, then applied different fanciful overlays against the reality. I looked for logical outcomes based on those creative overlays to practice "eventuation"

It was and still is a habit. I was the number one kid with potential but no follow through according to teachers. I was a day dreamer.

Its no surprise this day dreaming kid turned into a day dreaming adult with no real prospects or intrinsic worth. I drifted from job to job, from interest to interest. I can tell you looking back, that theres absolutely nothing wrong with that. I consider it normal and the people with the capacity to stick to a mind numbing job for 40 to 60 hours per week for years and years is the abnormal state.

Of course things changed for me, I changed when I met Martin Thomas and found out there was a practical application to make money with this capacity to day dream. Im "well heeled" today (as they say) and its simply obvious to me that real wealth is created. I dont mean in the practical sense like you would use the word to describe a task. I mean in the biblical sense like when we describe how God created the world and rested on the seventh day.

Alternative investment is essential for rapid wealth accumulation. We create money, we create value, we create worth through the power of the mind. Through our capacity to visualize what could be. Everyone has this capacity and this I suppose echoe's Napolean Hills "Think and grow rich" but its based in real world experience.

The main and traditional wealth centres are the stock market and real estate. But these are just the tip of the iceburg and that is why such a large percentage of people don't find their financial dreams in these arenas.

Being so obvious and prominent, everyone seems to gravitate to these areas rather then thinking laterally. (Or approach the same markets with a lateral, creative approach which is just as good)

So many don't earn much at all because the market is too crowded and we all know, not everybody can be very successful because both of those arenas are "zero sum games" (meaning, for there to be winners there must be losers because thats where the winners spoils come from)

As a person with a desire to accumulate wealth rapidly, your job is to avoid the "zero sum games" These are 18th century relics, however old traditions die hard. To grow money exponentially we need to become visionaries. You must apply your capacity to "see" what others cannot see in uncrowded arena's where the game is for mutual improvement for everybody or what I term "infinite sum games" where all participants benefit. Not all will get fiscal benefits, however money is not something that everybody wants. As the visionary its your job to "see" whats required and provide this commodity in exchange for the fortune you seek.

Alternative investment is where the potential is. Its where your future is.

May success find you fast and knowledge find you first!

Jack Reynolds' was a broke Insurance salesman only 2 years ago, today he owns assets valued at several million dollars. What did Jack do in 24 short months? You can read about Jack's remarkable and rapid transformation and download Hayden's famous book "The Million Dollar Mentor" by clicking here