Every sport has its rules. And if you are going to play the game, you need to know the rules of the game you are playing. Real estate investing is also a game with its own money rules. This means that you need to know the money rules of real estate investing if you want to invest in real estate. Consider playing hockey. You need to know the rules of hockey. Hockey rules are very different from tennis rules. Imagine what would happen if you tried to play hockey with tennis rules. You wouldn't have a very successful hockey game. Yet, people often confuse the rules when they start to invest in real estate. Instead of playing with investor real estate money rules, they try to play with consumer real estate money rules. When they mix consumer rules with investor money rules, they play a game that does not give them what they want. It's a case of mixing apples and oranges, and ending up with lemons. The most important consumer money rule is that you and your credit are the most important factors. You will need to have enough money to make the down payment and qualify to buy the property. You will need to have good credit. Those consumer money rules often get in the way when you want to become a real estate investor. When people think they have to invest in real estate the same way they invest in their own personal property, they create obstacles to their investing success. Why is this such a problem? When people try to buy investment property using consumer money rules, most people cannot even get started. They can't pay the down payment or they don't have enough credit. In an expensive market, many people can't even get into the game to buy their own homes. When the market is very expensive, it is very difficult to charge enough rent to pay the mortgage. It is possible for people to build real estate portfolios following consumer rules. The problem is that buying real estate this way ties up your money and depends on your own credit. As a means to create financial independence, this is a long and laborious way to build wealth. Successful investors don't follow consumer rules when they invest in real estate. Even though consumers and investors inhabit the same world and buy and sell real estate, investors know that there are different money rules than consumer rules. This means that the first money rule of a successful real estate investor is to invest with investor money rules. When you buy property as a consumer, the focus is on you and your money. When you buy property as an investor, the focus is on the deal itself. It's not about you. It's about whether the deal makes sense. This means that you don't necessarily have to have a lot of money or excellent credit to invest in real estate. You do need to know the difference between consumer rules and investor rules. This is very good news for people who want to invest in real estate, but don't have much money or great credit.Want to learn what investors know about money rules? Uncover the secrets in a real estate investing book about the world's most popular board game. Become a No Money Limits investor.