The Shipwreck

A ship loaded with precious cargo is sailing with purpose, bound for port. The captain is ready to close the deal. Focused on their destination, the crew believes everything is under control, unaware of the shallows and dangers just below the surface of the water. There’s no lighthouse to warn them, no beacon to guide their course.

A sailor spots a jagged rock and sounds the alarm. The navigator quickly steers left, narrowly avoiding the danger. Relief washes over the crew—until the nose of the ship suddenly jerks sharply to the right. The sailors look in horror at the navigator, but it’s clear he’s still trying to steer away. Everyone realizes at once: a powerful undercurrent is pulling them into the rocks.

The hull smashes into the jagged stone, tearing a hole below the waterline. A man, frozen in panic, is thrown overboard. The tide is coming in, dragging the battered ship closer to more rocks. The crew can do nothing but hold on as they realize their fate. Their ship—and its cargo—is about to be destroyed. They’ll be lucky to escape with their lives.

In real estate, the stakes are just as high. People who think everything is under control are surprised by unseen dangers. When disaster strikes, it results in dead deals, ruined reputations, financial devastation, and for some, even prison.

The recent indictment of the self-proclaimed "Short Sale Queen" is a chilling reminder of what happens when people blindly follow internet advice or intentionally steer “too close to the rocks” in real estate.

Your Real Estate Shipwreck

Imagine you’re in the middle of a promising real estate deal. The seller trusts you, the buyer is eager, and the numbers look great. But under the surface, there’s a danger you can’t see — a detail you didn’t think to question; a strategy you used because you were told “that’s how you get the deal done.”

The deal falls apart. Not just a delay or a minor setback, but the seller accuses you of fraud. Your buyer backs out. The title company alerts the seller and others of what you’ve done, and suddenly, the law gets involved. You thought you were doing everything right, but the authorities say otherwise.

You’re fined thousands, blacklisted, and you’re on the news. Worse yet, you’re facing criminal charges. You’re losing sleep, spending money you don’t have on legal fees, and watching your life fall apart. Now you’re fighting just to stay out of prison so you don’t lose your family.

This isn’t just a nightmare; it’s reality for people who dive into creative real estate deals without understanding the risks. The recent indictment of the so-called "Short Sale Queen" proves it. Following shady advice or cutting corners isn’t just a bad decision—it’s a disaster waiting to happen.

Every misstep—every false claim, fraudulent document, or unethical strategy—is a jagged rock beneath the surface. You might not see it coming, but when it tears through your deal like the hull of a ship, the damage will flood in just the same. 

Real estate isn’t just about making money—it’s about doing things right. And if you don’t have a guiding light to show you the safe path, you’re steering blind in dangerous waters.

The Lighthouse

For centuries, lighthouses have been the difference between a shipwreck and a successful journey. A lighthouse doesn’t judge the ship’s size or the captain’s experience—it guides them all the same. Their purpose is simple yet critical: protect ships from what they cannot see, and guide them to safety.

A lighthouse doesn’t remove the dangers—it reveals them. Its beam cuts through the darkness; it’s horn blasts through the fog, alerting ships to steer clear so they don’t encounter hidden rocks, shallow waters, and powerful currents.

But a lighthouse doesn’t just serve ships already in danger. It also prevents trouble for those who don’t yet know they’re at risk. It stands unwavering, always ready, offering safety to those who know to look for its light.

You need a lighthouse in real estate investing, too.

Real Estate Hazards

Let’s explore the hazards lurking beneath the surface of creative finance deals and why confidence isn’t enough to get you through safely:

1. The Hidden Rocks: Fraud and Deception

• Fake Contracts and Documents: Fabricating documents like purchase agreements, two different versions of purchase contracts, or fake proof of funds not only destroys trust but can lead to criminal charges.

• Concealed Liens: Unrecorded or undisclosed liens are typically classified as “withholding material information” and can lead to criminal charges. Undisclosed liens also increase risk for lenders, as they’re typically used to reduce the buyer’s skin in the game… People with something to lose act more responsibly than those with nothing to lose.

• Strawman Borrowers and “Loan Sponsors”: People act as the borrower to obtain favorable financing they couldn’t otherwise get. The borrower has already committed fraud by misrepresenting their role and intentions with the property, and on top of that, their credit score is on the line, relying on the property operator who has no skin in the game to keep the loan current.

2. The Powerful Currents: Dangerous Tactics

• Bankruptcy Abuse: Using bankruptcy filings to delay foreclosures may seem clever, but it’s both illegal and unethical, carrying steep consequences.

• Exploitation of Sellers: Misleading distressed homeowners by pretending to “help” them while prioritizing profits can destroy reputations and lead to lawsuits.

3. The Shifting Sands: Bad Advice and False Confidence

• Questionable Mentorships and Facebook Comments: Following strategies from gurus, unvetted internet users, or even paid mentors often leads to tactics that are neither ethical nor legal.

• You’re a coach too: When a buyer, investor, or agent coaches a seller to do certain things, they’re implicating themselves in those same actions. Coaching someone into getting a loan modification with the intention to sell a house subject to that newly-modified loan is almost always mortgage fraud.

4. The Slamming Tide: Stronger Consequences for Professionals

• Pros at Fault: When a businessperson (investor, agent, buyer) coaches, assists, or allows an unsophisticated consumer (the seller) to do shady things, courts rule more heavily against that businessperson. Why? Because they should know better. Because they do this stuff repeatedly. A consumer is a once-off offense in most cases, but someone who does this for a living is a repeat offender and needs to be made an example of. Punitive fines and prison time are in order for those who promote shady, unethical, and/or fraudulent practices.

Unethical actions and oversights are like the jagged rocks and hidden currents of the real estate world—they may not seem dangerous until it’s too late. Avoiding these pitfalls requires not just experience but the ability to anticipate and steer clear of trouble entirely.

A Real Example: The indictment of the "Short Sale Queen" highlights the dangers of cutting corners. Her team used falsified documents and deceptive practices to manipulate lenders, leading to $2.5 million in losses, destroyed careers, and pending prison sentences.

Your Lighthouse

Creative TC is your lighthouse in real estate. Whether you’re navigating subto / subject to deals, seller finance, private money lending, or other real estate strategies as an investor, agent, wholesaler, or lender, we’re here to guide you safely past the hidden risks and unseen pitfalls that could sink your deal—and your career.

No one else is equipped to help like us:

• We See What Others Miss: Unrecorded liens, fraudulent buyers, illegal tactics, and compliance issues are the jagged rocks beneath the surface of creative finance deals. We shine a light on those risks before they tear through your transaction.

• We’re Steadfast and Unwavering: We’ve held our stance from the beginning. Unlike online advice, questionable mentorships, or even your title company, we’re solely focused on your safety and success. Creative TC provides clarity, ethics, and best practices every step of the way.

• We Train our Competition: We want the most good for the most people, so we’re not afraid to publish helpful guidance. It’s not uncommon to find competitors rebranding our content or regurgitating our guidance in Facebook group comments. We’d rather people be safe and ethical than hoard our expertise.

• We Guide, Not Just Alert: A title company’s job is to close deals, not mentor you through complex transactions. Creative TC fills that gap, acting as a true partner to help you structure your deal legally, ethically, and successfully for long term success past closing.

• We Protect Your Future: Dead deals are painful, but fines, ruined reputations, and prison are devastating. With Creative TC as your guide, you can avoid the catastrophic consequences of following bad advice or cutting corners.

No matter how confident you are in your course, every ship needs a lighthouse. Let Creative TC be yours. Together, we’ll protect your investments, your reputation, and your future.

The stakes in real estate are too high to rely on luck or incomplete advice. Hidden dangers can sink deals, destroy reputations, and lead to devastating legal consequences. Without a lighthouse to guide your ship, even the most experienced professionals risk steering into disaster.

Creative TC is that lighthouse. We’re here to steer you away from unseen dangers and ensure your creative finance transactions are built on a foundation of safety and success.

Contact Creative TC today and let us guide your next deal safely into harbor. Your future depends on it.