Best to save?

[Dustin Neal]

So basically I've been researching the topic of starting in real estate for about six months, that's how I found BP. I've read book after book, blog after blog. When it comes to starting out in real estate there are several options. Because I originally planned to work hard all of my life until I was sixty I placed all of my assets into a 401k. Not much in there currently, especially after it took a big hit during this previous stock market blunder. 

So here is my question. I've researched enough to find Hard money lenders who only require a 10% dp versus the traditional 20% for conventional. Now the interest rates are obviously like day and night with conventional loans being much lower. So do I jump into the REI game with a hard money lender at 10% dp or wait and save the 20% dp for a conventional loan?