These techniques should work in any country, city or area. The trick is simply finding the real deals. Let me tell you the fastest way you could start making money in real estate right away.

Call all the classifieds and “We Buy Houses” signs you see in your area and tell them you’re unemployed and would like to be a bird dog to them. Ask them for $100 when they sign the contract to buy from the seller, and ask for $400 more when they close ($500 is a pretty typical amount). Ask them to let you go with them when they go to see the property so you can get some experience. Also try joining your local investor group, in most cities they cost $20 or less for each monthly meeting (it’s a bargain). Visit your local section 8 housing office and ask for the list of owners and contact some of those who deal with single-family homes.

Also, turn around and start looking for empty houses. Call real estate agents and tell them you are looking for investment properties. If you have lined up 5 or more investor buyers and find a real deal, one of them will snatch it up and pay you a bird dog fee. While you’re away, look for signs for houses for rent, give them a call, ask them if they buy houses, if so, get their phone, fax, email, etc. and send them offers too. If not find out if they are looking to sell their rental homes. You will be able to find owner financed deals this way.

You’ll soon be able to figure out which properties to hire yourself and move on to wholesale where you’ll earn $2,000 to $10,000 per deal instead of $500. It just keeps getting better from there.

If you are aggressive and go shopping today, you could be making a few hundred dollars a week next week, a thousand dollars a week a month from now, and over $10,000 a month 6 months from now. These techniques work but require work. Interestingly, I could do a lot of this work by bike if I didn’t have a car (but maybe not in Canada during the winter).

None of these techniques require cash or credit and will help you start investing in real estate right away.