The benefits to seller is that they can collect additional income via interest on the loan, potentially a higher purchase price for the use of seller financing, and they can spread out their capital gains tax exposure (if any) over two or more years rather than all in one year.Benefits to buyer using seller financing - ease of loan docs and no lender qualifications, no appraisal required, speed of financing, additional leverage avenue, potential to have lower interest costs than a hard or private money loan, no points or loan fees, etc.The key to seller financing is how you negotiate and how comfortable you can make the seller with the scenario.

Although, my financials would probably exclude me to only very small investments, and what personal exposure I have had with development, it has a longer return time.

I'd like to think you'll find the resources we offer on structuring syndications / private offerings to start your own RE investment firm informative as well (pretty sure I'm biased though).The terminology, process, necessary documents and decisions (PPM, Reg D 506 (b vs c), blind bool preferred return, etc. all seem a bit overwhelming at first, but it's pretty straight forward once you understand the basics and get some exposure to the moving parts. 

Assess these elements: price, location, condition, exposure.  

It's the absolute most important thing that can drive your profitability; whether you are marketing yourself by social networking, direct mail, on-line presence, mass exposure etc. it's imperative to creating consistent deals.Once you get the leads follow up.And just a general response to the "only take advice from someone in the business more than 20 years" - I would personally revise that to say "only take advice from someone his is where you want to be".

Those folks who join the program pay a couple bucks to get some high level basic exposure to the asset class and it is not a bad idea.

You will also have a lot more exposure to deals WHEN you are consistently talking real estate.

To-date my exposure has been with writing my own notes - three: one primary & two seconds (amounts conventional lenders considered too small) - from a registered account.  

I believe your risk exposure is much greater in general.

There comes a price with privacy and public exposure.