In response to "current profession" I am a career restaurant server with some management as well. I've been in the business ,off and on, for 20 years. I've always been interested in RE. From 2008(daughter was born) thru 2012, I worked a lot of back to back double-close shifts that allowed my wife and I to come up with&maintain a VERY minimal down payment in an account. Against all challenges i.e. no credit, little cash, constant financing turndowns, realtors and other pros telling me" it can't happen", I stuck to it!! Partially due to 3 decades of reading articles and listening&buying into the "GURUS" of NO DOWN, I was able to connect with a few pros like an RE agent going into retirement and a banker. At the end of 2011, I convinced my agent to help me put together a non-stop HUD house offer campaign(30+) that lasted 11 MONTHS!!? This was BEFORE I had financing solidified. I only had PRE-QUAL! There so many foreclosures at that time, I NEW there had to be at least 1 for ME!?! In august. 2012 one o f my offers was behind another that fell through, when I approached my banker with an ACCEPTED OFFER I suggested a 203k loan (studied as far back as "ED BECKLEY's NO MONEY DOWN STRATEGIES) and we were able to get the financing through underwriting and close on our house in November!!!! If someone like me with a GED, "checkered" legal past and other issues can accomplish this I KNOW I WILL overcome my current challenges to achieve my dream of becoming a SUCCESSFUL RE investor!?
