In this economic period, many real estate investors are wanting to sell some of their houses. On the other side of the fence (or transaction), there are quite a few people renting who want to purchase. There are also first-time home buyers, families who have out-grown their starter home and boomers looking to downsize. But these sales and purchases aren't happening as quickly as most would like, and it's often because the buyer doesn't qualify for a mortgage.

One of the reasons is poor credit scores. Peoples' credit has been damaged due to a disruption in employment, a cut in pay or reduced number of hours an employee is allowed to work. Whatever the reason, many who used to have great scores are now doing their best to recover to a respectable numer. So how do they buy a house? And if you have one to sell, how do you sell it?

There are many creative (and legal) alternatives to the conventional mortgage. For example, there are short sales, land contracts, rent-to-own options and sometimes the seller will carry the mortgage. Over the next few weeks, we will cover some of the most common, creative alternatives.

So don't give up. Talk to a professional, well-established mortgage broker to assist you. We're standing by...