There are several pieces to the puzzle.

@Steve Vaughan  good credit is just one of the pieces of the puzzle. you can have good credit but if you don't have the income to go along with it.. not going to do you any good in the real estate game.buying a car yes.. getting consumer debt sure... but not with underwriting in todays day and age.

I'm a bit puzzled by your response to my reply.

Properly underwriting the debt is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle, after all, the lender is usually bringing most of the cash to the deal. 

For those with all the pieces to the puzzle, new construction can be a great route.

Hi Jannah,I see you're asking for another piece of the real estate puzzle. 

Being new of coarse I would be looking to wholesale to get my feet wet and to get hands on experience, I know that's just a small piece of the puzzle but it's a start and a few deals can give me a down payment for nicer, bigger homes.

It's like trying to solve a puzzle without all the pieces. =)"I have not failed, I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." ~ Thomas Edison

I almost named this thread "Pieces to the puzzle" because although I've gathered great info here and there, I still feel there are pieces missing for me to really start.  

I would definitely recommend consulting with an attorney for options.What is puzzling to me, if I’m understanding correctly, is that the realtor wants compensation prior to closing for drafting a purchase contract.