Few lenders specialize in land deals. So you have a real challenge in finding such lenders. When you want to buy raw land, look at these loan sources:

•The seller - many sellers will finance their land sale, asking for lit-de down payment-sometimes as little as just S100.

•Government sellers - state and federal governments sometimes offer land for as little as SI per acre - with no financing charges. And if you buy large amounts of this land - several thousand Acres - the government may extend credit to you to pay for your land over a period of years.

•Farm Service Agency - offers loans to beginning farmers and ranchers for up to $200,000 for purchase of land, construction of buildings, purchase of equipment, or other needs. These loans are under the Direct Farm Ownership, Beginning Farmer Down Payment Farm Ownership^ and other programs.

•Area development agencies - private groups interested in developing a town, city, or state offer financing for land purchase to individuals and firms seeking to build single- or multi-family housing, shopping malls, or industrial facilities. To be eligible for such financing you should have previous experience in the field. However, if you do not have this experience, you can join with a partner who does have a suitable background and get the financing you seek.

Raw land can be highly profitable to you in your real estate wealth building. But you must buy raw land wisely, using the most leverage you can. Leverage allows you to control something of great worth with little money.

So try to borrow as much of your purchase price for land as you can. When you use double leverage - that is, borrow the down payment and the long-term money - your percent return on your investment is infinite, or nearly so.

Search for Unique Residential Lenders

Everyone has to live somewhere. Thus, the single-family home and the multi-family apartment house are popular throughout the world. And you can finance such properties using money from unique lenders. Here are such lenders for you:

•Private real estate lenders that do their entire business in residential properties. These lenders do long-term first mortgages, second mortgages, bridge loans, and other funding for residential properties. No upfront fees are charged for such loans.

•REO - Real Estate Owned-lenders often offer 100 percent (zero-cash) financing on repossessed single-family and multi-family homes. Such lenders are banks, mortgage companies, and government agencies. The whole key to getting such unique 100 percent financing is your willingness to take over foreclosed property. To do so, you should get as much experience as you can in managing properties before you agree to take over a foreclosed building.

•”Reverse-flip” seller-credit lenders can be used for your down payment money. How? By having the seller use credit to obtain a loan for your down payment. You agree to repay this loan over a term of - typically - three or five years. The “reverse-flip” would occur any time you are unable to repay the down payment loan. Then the property would revert (reverse flip) to the seller and all payments you make are credited to the seller who still owns the property and can sell it to someone else for full price. Once you pay off your down payment loan for the seller, you will own the property - its title will be in your name. Your real estate attorney arranges the paperwork for the reverse-flip unique financing.

•Installment sale of property can reduce the seller’s tax burden on the gain he/she has on the property since the purchase. With an ordinary sale, the seller gets the full price of the property, less any money owed on it - such as first or second mortgages. The gain in value of the property is fully taxable in the year received. You offer an installment sale to the seller so he/she receives the same amount of money, plus interest, over a period of years¡ª5, 10, 15, or more. Then the money received in any given year is less, making the overall tax much less than if the seller received the full price in one year. Have your attorney and accountant explain the advantages of an installment sale to the seller.

•Get Chamber of Commerce help in finding lenders; this can be crucial to you. Why? Because members of the Chamber usually know local lenders who can help you get funding - especially for neat, clean, safe residential units - either single-family or multi-family units. All you need to do is ask - you’ll be amazed at how much free help you’ll be given.

•Work with multi-family lenders lending nationwide. Such lenders understand multi-family housing financing needs and can give you lots of help as part of their funding package. Six outstanding lenders in the multi-family field are:

1.AMI Capital, Inc., offices nationwide. 800-800-1871;

2.American Property Financing, Atlanta, GA, 404-252-5960; Washington, DC, 301-654-6400; New York, NY, 212-850-4200; Seattle, WA, 206-505-8900.

3.Corus Bank, Chicago, IL, 800-890-8837;

4.GE Real Estate, offices nationwide. Stamford, CT, 888-GE-FIRST;

5.Inland Mortgage Corporation, Walnut Creek, CA, 925-952-3900;

6.L. J. Melody & Company, offices nationwide. 713-787-1900;