My husband and I want to buy our first home and fix it up. I've been hearing a lot about people needing to sell their houses in foreclosure. What's the difference between a short sale and a foreclosure?

Question from Stan: I see many houses for sale and many of them need fixing up. How do you know which house will make a profit? I want to start flipping houses right away.

Out of town owners ready to make someone a great deal.

Yesterday, I was talking to young Joe Luckino, owner and cofounder of Money4Investors.com. It's hard not to get the fix and flip bug when you listen to Joe's success story.

There are ways to improve your chances of obtaining a home loan, even if your previous history has been less than stellar. A high percentage of home sales are sold to single mothers.

Many investors think they don't want to flip houses because they're afraid of the tax consequences. Problems arise when real estate speculators don't follow the law.

Regardless of the advantages that brokers and real estate agents can offer in marketing a home, many people still try to sell their homes themselves. Although FSBOs are more common in seller's markets, when competition for homes is fierce, you'll find them in all types of markets, and you'll need to use the same caution if you decide you want to buy one.

Question: I know about the positives of the business but can you give me a list of the potential downfalls or losses you can suffer while trying to make this business work?

The market slowed because of these four reasons. Because of all the negativity about the "real estate bubble," too many houses on the market, and a buyer's market, investors are pulling back and looking for other ways to make money. This means less competition for serious real estate investors.