presenter, the properties, and the courses. You can also start by looking up certified experts and see if they offer any educational opportunities. Lending scams are another common scam in real estate. It’s a fairly easy type of scam for real estate investors to fall into because often they’re looking for alternative financing (i.e., private lenders) that doesn’t have the same qualifications required by traditional mortgages. This kind of financing often has a requirement to pay back the money more quickly and tends to have higher interest rates than mortgages. Those things alone don’t mean they’re a scam, though. The problem is that lenders don’t have to be licensed to hand out money, so it can be a bit tricky to make sure the lender is legit. So, how do you make sure the lender you’re working for is on the up-and-up? First, you find the lender through one of the following ways: • Through a certified real estate investing website • Through referrals from people in your network who’ve personally worked with the lender Second, you should ask the following questions (and if the answer to any is “yes,” it’s probably a red flag, pointing to a scam): • Does the lender seem to know details about investing and lending, including the correct jargon? • Is there a major upfront fee? • Does the lender seem a little too eager to give you the money? In other words, do they skip asking you essential questions and get right down to the “money talk?”
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