You can always put some skin in the game while still having private investor(s) involved. 

Hi all,I have been wanting to break into the real estate game here in Sacramento for awhile now.

Seems crazy, but a bank would rather refinance debt, at a higher LTV, than put that money in your pocket. 

@Oleg Shalumov Welcome to Bigger Pockets! 

I joined Bigger Pockets because I know very little about real estate investing but am excited to learn.

Hi there my name is Ariel Benavidez, I'm 25yrs old and live in Bradford Ont. north of Vaughan and south of Barrie.I decided to get involved with this community and the world of Real Estate because I've come to realize...

Bigger pockets has some great resources on this.

Hey all,I've been reading up on buy-and-hold, first-time real estate investment for a few months now, and have made my way through a bunch of Bigger Pockets podcast episodes, so I felt like it was time to introduce myself on the forums, too.My name's Shane and I'm originally from the Northwest, have been here in Los Angeles for 3 years now, and I'm looking to buy my first property ever.

Agents have to work their butts off, for a lousy 3% commission, and they have to pay for almost everything involving them being an agent out of their own pocket. 

There should be lots to read on Bigger Pockets (and elsewhere on the interwebs) in terms of a home purchase and the associated tax implications...good luck!