Case Study: The Creative Financing Investor
Andrew Closed 11 Section 8 Doors With Under $40,000 of His Own Cash.
Andrew Mitchell is a 31 year old sales rep in Kansas City who did not have $200,000 sitting in a bank. He had roughly $40,000, decent credit, and a willingness to learn creative financing. In 12 months he closed 11 Section 8 doors in Kansas City and St. Louis using seller financing, subject-to deals, and Tom's private lender network to fill the gaps.
This case study reflects Andrew's real journey inside Tom Cruz's mentorship program.
The Challenge
Andrew had roughly $40,000. That is one 20 percent down payment on a modest Section 8 house, at most. Traditional financing would have capped him at 1 or 2 units before he was out of capital, and then he would be stuck waiting years to build back up.
He also did not have a rich uncle, a business partner, or a private investor already lined up. Every dollar had to be strategic. Every offer had to consider not just price, but structure.
The Kansas City MLS was competitive at the low end. Investors with cash and quick close capability were winning every deal. Andrew could not compete on speed alone with his limited capital.
He had heard of seller financing and subject-to on YouTube but the videos were vague. Nobody actually showed him how to structure a real deal, how to talk to a real seller, or what paperwork to hand a real title company.
Andrew needed a mentor who had personally closed dozens of creative deals and could walk him through them in plain English.
The Tom Cruz Effect
Seller Financing Scripts
Tom's mentorship gave Andrew word for word phone scripts for pitching seller financing. He learned how to ask about a seller's real motivation, how to propose terms without scaring them off, and how to frame the deal so a seller said yes to a 5 percent interest rate and 5 percent down.
Subject-To Deal Structuring
Tom's team walked Andrew through 2 subject-to deals where he took over the seller's existing mortgage. Legal paperwork, insurance updates, and communication with the mortgage servicer were all mapped out in advance. Both deals closed with less than $5,000 out of pocket.
Private Lender Introductions
When Andrew needed short-term capital to close and stabilize, Tom's private lender network stepped in. Bridge capital at reasonable rates let Andrew move fast on deals that otherwise would have gone to cash buyers.
Section 8 Pro AI to Find Motivated Sellers
Andrew filtered Section 8 Pro AI for older listings, price drops, and tired landlord signals. Motivated sellers were far more likely to say yes to seller financing, and the platform helped him find them at scale.
AI-Underwritten Creative Offers
Every creative offer Andrew sent was underwritten in Section 8 Pro AI at both a cash and creative structure. He always knew the exact monthly payment that made the deal work and refused to go above it.
Tom's 1 on 1 Deal Reviews
Before signing any creative deal, Andrew brought the term sheet to Tom's team on a call. That second set of eyes caught two deals that looked good on paper but had hidden risks, and green-lit the 11 that did close.
The Results
11 Section 8 Doors With Under $40K
Kansas City and St. Louis portfolio built almost entirely with creative financing.
6 Seller Financed Purchases
Sellers carried the paper on 6 of his 11 units at favorable terms.
2 Subject-To Deals
Took over existing low-rate mortgages with minimal out of pocket capital.
3 Private Lender Deals
Tom's network provided bridge capital on the remaining 3 units to keep momentum.
Fully Managed Portfolio
Two vetted property managers running the day to day across both markets.
Capital Preserved for Next Year
Andrew still has liquid reserves left over to expand into 15+ more doors next year.
"I did not have enough cash to buy 11 houses the normal way. Tom taught me how to talk to sellers, how to structure seller financing, and how to use his private lenders when I needed to move fast. That is how you get to 11 doors on $40,000."
Andrew Mitchell
Section 8 Pro AI Student — Kansas City, MO
Want the Same System?
Join Tom's next live training and see the exact Section 8 Pro AI workflow, financing stack, and remote team strategy our students use to build cash-flowing portfolios.