(I would personally take the annuity and become a worthless, noncontributing member of society).Easy peezy.

Larry Oxenham at American society for asset protection gave a really great training on this whole topic.

And we are the ones who contribute to society!

The public's perception is that agents make a killing just by listing a property on the MLS.

Hopefully you are pursuing a type of degree that society actually needs. 

Most people overlook mobile home parks as an investment vehicle due to negative perceptions about the kinds of people that might live there or what they represent (poor, dirty, untrustworthy, etc).

Your income as a pipe fitter will go a long way, if you enter a new field you will likely have to start over from a lending perceptive.  

I've done many deals without using my money, my credit was never an issue in most of my dealings.What can be critical is the perception of others thinking you have good credit, that really is based on your ethical behavior, how you present yourself professionally......again, education is the foundation here.

Good agents do that.Also remember Sellers perceptions are not reality many times.. sellers think things are great with their house when its a train wreck and vis a versa.. buyers especially with all the internet guru stuff are out there in droves trying to wholesale with no money.. a good agent can flesh that out and kick them to the curb like they should.

@Kenley Law "Reality" as defined by your agent's perception may be skewed.