Agent help!

[Dylan Tettemer]

Help! I am currently brand new to real estate investing and I have been in the Air Force for just over a year now and I'm in Japan. I want to buy my first rental property in New Jersey where I grew up. However every time I talk to an agent and tell them I don't have much to put down they give up and don't get creative like how I am trying and just stop talking to me. Anyone have any tips on how I can get agents on board for trying creative investing instead of traditional 20% down? Any ideas for creative investing? Any help is so appreciated. Thank you!!

[Chris Mason]

Hi @Dylan Tettemer,

Bottom line my friend, you need to talk to a competent lender local to where you are looking to purchase the property. 

I see in your picture that you may have what appears to be a Mark 1 Spousal Unit, and I've gathered that you are eligible for a VA loan. I also know that for USMC, spouses typically don't come with when stationed in Japan. I'm not certain how USAF is, however, but my first question would be about where your Mk1SU is physically at. See how much I as a lender have gleaned from your five sentence post, that a typical real estate agent wouldn't even know to ask?

Using a VA loan and zero down, Mk1SU can fulfill the owner occupancy requirement on your behalf during any tour of duty wherein you are not accompanied by dependents. But there's no way in hell a typical agent is going to know about that sort of trick, which is why you need to talk to a competent lender local to where you are looking to purchase the property.