Upside Down Mortgages

[Jennifer Cochrane]

So, I am a newbie investor, and have been studying intensely since I decided to start investing with my boyfriend a few months ago. I understand the concepts of wholesaling, lease-options, owner financing, etc, and believe I will focus primarily on the owner-financing options (leading to lease-options).

I live in an area where a good percentage of homes are upside down a significant amount when they are in the pre-foreclosure stages. Aside from going through the short sale process (which I am not prepared to do at this time, as I do not wish to invest much or any of my own cash), is there a way to assist the upside down homeowner that can be mutually beneficial?