I would be curious to know how many investors are really purchasing residential real estate deals with owner financing...The idea of owner financing in the context of a residential property has always seemed to me to be a bit of an urban legend; something promoted by so-called gurus to new investors hoping to get started buying deals with "other people's money" and no capacity to get a loan from a traditional lender.Let's consider the the most basic version of owner financing:  Buyer agrees to purchase property from seller. 

I have considered designing all 9 or 10 homes and "pre-selling" based off the renderings and floor plans I design, to at least sell a couple to prove the idea before we break ground.I want to work directly with private investors, not traditional financial institutions.

Heart of the Question: Do traditional lenders REQUIRE actual cash, or can equity in home count?

My husband and I are working hard to find a lender that will work with us, however he is self employed and starting flight school (which requires a large loan) and my income alone will not qualify us for a traditional loan in our market. 

Has anyone been able to build a non-traditional house (storage container, tiny home, modular,etc..) and have it pass under-writing standards?

Most traditional banks and lenders will not make a loan that small.

Christian

In this analysis, income stability takes precedence over job stability. 4155.1 4.D.1.d Borrowers Returning to Work After Extended Absences A borrower’s income may be considered effective and stable when recently returning to work after an extended absence if he/she is employed in the current job for six months or longer, and can document a two year work history prior to an absence from employment using traditional employment verification, and/or copies of W-2 forms or pay stubs. 

I think if you want to do a traditional rental remotely a good property management team is key.

It does require self-employment activity, but has a lot of advantages: Compared to an IRA, Solo 401k contributions limits are roughly ten times higher.There is no custodial requirement for the 401k.You don't need the additional expense and administration of an LLC to have checkbook control.There is a built in-Roth component whereas IRAs are either traditional or Roth, not both.A spouse can also participate in the same Solo 401k plan.The Solo 401k has additional tax benefits over an IRA when investing into real estate using leverage.The penalties for prohibited transactions are less severe, though it's best not to utilize this benefit :)