Learn the eviction procedure for your area, perhaps contact a lawyer in the field to help you with this one, and get the fraudster you're currently housing out on the sidewalk to sleep in a cardboard box where they belong.You're going to lose plenty of money here, but this will never happen to you again, and you can minimize your losses if you move as quickly as possible.

I own a fully paid-off home valued at around $275,000, but that's all I have. my credit is poor, and I’ve had minimal income over the past couple of years, which doesn’t reflect much creditworthiness.

The lessons you learned the hard way in 2008 will be invaluable now, and it’s great that you’re aiming to stay small-scale and within your comfort zone of Sacramento, which gives you an advantage of knowledge in that market.Given your experience, I'd say start by focusing on three key areas to build confidence and minimize risks:Budget Control: Over-renovating was one of the big mistakes you mentioned.

By tackling them early on, you minimize the risk of missing critical dates.In my experience, closing a deal within a specific timeframe requires meticulous planning.

Diversifying your investments could also be a wise strategy to minimize risk.

This property was a foreclosure auction purchase, so minimal information was known.

There is no pitching of any programs, coaching, books, etc.

@Brian Rocha It’s clear why most lenders insist on including rehab funds in the loan, and all of our partner banks follow this practice for fix-and-flip loans to minimize risk and meet securitization standards.

Not sure if hard money would be the correct route to go for this one or notHey @Scott Allen I generally run the initial underwriting to minimize the developer's equity (@Shayan Sameer) based on the max LTV % or LTARV % that the handful of HMLs that quote me on my deals.

@Tyler Speelman Your strategy to assist your sibling with a down payment while minimizing tax liability is creative but comes with complexities.