5 Deal Structures Most Real Estate Investors Never Consider

And How Each One Can Make You $10,000 or More on Your Next Deal

“Deal makers know that every property has multiple solutions. And they know that structure matters more than price.”

Structure 1

The “Subject-To” Acquisition

The seller owes close to what the property is worth, has a good interest rate locked in, and you do not want to get a new loan.

Most investors look at a property where the seller owes $180,000 on a home worth $200,000 and think, “There is not enough equity here.” They move on.

A deal maker sees it differently.

You take over the seller’s existing mortgage payments “subject to” the existing financing staying in place. The loan stays in the seller’s name. You get the deed. You control the property. The seller’s problem is solved.

You are not assuming the loan. You are not qualifying at the bank. You are simply agreeing to make the payments on a loan that already exists — at terms that may be far better than anything available today.

If the existing mortgage carries a 3.5% interest rate and today’s rates are 7%, you have just inherited financing that no bank will give you. That rate difference alone can mean hundreds of dollars per month in cash flow that a conventional buyer would never see.

Structure 2

Seller Financing at Zero Percent Interest

The property is free and clear, the seller does not need all their cash immediately, and banks are either too slow or too restrictive.

When a seller owns their property outright, most investors make a lowball cash offer. The seller says no. Deal over.

But here is what most investors miss: many sellers — especially retirees or people who have owned the property for decades — do not need a lump sum. What they want is a steady income stream. And they want their problem solved.

You offer to buy the property with the seller acting as your bank. You make monthly payments directly to them. And because the seller is not a bank, there is no rule that says they have to charge interest. Many sellers will agree to zero percent interest when the deal is structured correctly.

Every dollar of your payment goes toward principal. Your cash flow is dramatically higher than it would be with a conventional loan. And you got into the deal without a bank, without qualifying, and often with very little money down.

I have done this hundreds of times. The seller gets a monthly check. You get a cash-flowing property. Everyone wins.

Structure 3

The Cost to Sell Negotiation

The seller thinks their property is worth more than you can pay — and a price argument will kill the deal.

This is not a deal structure in the traditional sense. It is a negotiation framework that makes every other structure work better. And it may be the single most powerful tool I teach.

Instead of arguing about price, you walk the seller through a Cost to Sell Worksheet. Together, you calculate every cost they would face if they sold the traditional way: real estate commissions (5–7%), closing costs (2–4%), holding costs during the months it takes to sell, property taxes, insurance, repairs, vacancy, yard maintenance, utilities, and more.

By the time you add it all up, sellers are often shocked at how much it actually costs to sell their property the conventional way. The number they thought they would walk away with is dramatically lower than they expected.

You are not beating the seller down on price. You are showing them reality. And once they see the real numbers, your offer suddenly looks much more attractive — because you are eliminating most of those costs for them.

I have seen this single worksheet save investors $10,000 to $50,000 on a single negotiation. It changes the entire conversation from adversarial to collaborative.

Structure 4

The Agreement for Deed

The seller will not let you take over their mortgage (subject-to makes them nervous), but they are willing to finance the sale themselves.

Some sellers like the idea of receiving payments from you but are not comfortable with you taking the deed while their mortgage is still in place. That is a legitimate concern. And it does not have to kill the deal.

With an Agreement for Deed (also called a Land Contract or Contract for Deed), the seller holds the deed until you have paid off the purchase price or reached an agreed-upon milestone. You get possession and control of the property. The seller retains the deed as security.

You make payments that can be structured in dozens of ways — matching the existing mortgage payment, graduated payments that start low and increase over time, or any other arrangement that works for both parties.

You control a property and collect income from it without ever getting a bank loan. The seller feels secure because they hold the deed. You get the benefit of equity buildup, tax advantages, and cash flow from day one.

I teach over a dozen different ways to structure an Agreement for Deed. Each one solves a slightly different seller situation. When you know all of them, you almost always have an option that works.

Structure 5

The “Seller Pays You to Buy” Structure

The property needs work, the seller is desperate, and you have very little cash to put into the deal.

This one surprises people every time I teach it. But it is real, and I have done it many times.

When a seller is truly motivated — behind on payments, facing foreclosure, dealing with a property that needs significant repairs, or simply desperate to be done — the cost of continuing to own the property is greater than the cost of paying someone to take it off their hands.

In these situations, you can structure a deal where the seller actually brings money to the closing table. They may pay for your closing costs, provide a repair allowance, cover months of payments in advance, or even hand you cash as part of the transaction.

You acquire a property with zero dollars out of pocket — or with cash in your pocket at closing. Combined with creative financing like taking over their existing payments subject-to, you now control a property and have money to work with.

Not every deal works this way. But when you know this structure exists and you know how to identify the right situations, you will find opportunities that every other investor walks past.

The Bigger Picture

These five structures are just the beginning.

In my Millionaire Deal Maker™ training, I teach 37 different ways to structure a real estate deal. Each one solves a different problem. Each one opens a door that other investors do not even know exists.

When you know all 37, something changes inside you. You stop asking “is this a good deal?” and start asking “how can I make this deal work?”

That shift is the difference between investors who struggle and deal makers who thrive.

I have been investing in real estate since 1977. I have personally done over a thousand transactions. I have never been to a bank. I have never qualified for a loan. Every deal I have ever done used creative structures like the ones in this report — and the 32 others I teach at Millionaire Deal Maker.

Millionaire Deal Maker™ 2026

23rd Annual Live Online Training • February 26 – March 1, 2026

For the first time in 23 years, I am delivering Millionaire Deal Maker entirely online. Same system. Same depth. Same results that have created millionaires and multi-millionaires. You apply what you are learning to real deals during the training.

Over four intensive days, you will learn:

All 37 ways to structure any deal • The complete Cost to Sell strategy, practiced in class • Creative financing including seller financing, subject-to, and zero interest carries • Proven seller scripts • HUD buying secrets • How to raise private money • Work on YOUR real deals during the training

Prefer to enroll by phone? Call Dennis at 1-800-578-8580