It was not so much the houses, but the learned skill of raising money that is priceless. All too often I hear people say, "The bank won't lend me money." Or "I don't have the money to buy it." If you want to be a Type 2 investor, you need to learn how to do that which stops most people. In other words, a majority of people let their lack of money stop them from making a deal. If you can avoid that obsta- cle, you will be millions ahead of those who don't learn those skills. There have been many times I have bought a house, a stock or an apartment building without a penny in the bank. I once bought an apartment house for $1.2 million. I did what is called "Tying it up," with a written contract between seller and buyer. I then raised the $100,000 deposit, which bought me 90 days to raise the rest of the money. Why did I do it? Simply because I knew it was worth $2 million. I never raised the money. Instead, the person who put up the $100,000 gave me $50,000 for finding the deal, he took over my position, and I walked away. Total working time: three days. Again, it's what you know more than what you buy. Investing is not buying. It's more a case of knowing. 3. How to organize smart people. Intelligent people are those who work with or hire a person who is more intelligent than they are. When you need advice, make sure you choose your advisor wisely. There is a lot to learn, but the rewards can be astro- nomical. If you do not want to learn those skills, then being a Type 1 investor is highly recommended. It is what you know that is your greatest wealth. It is what you do not know that is your greatest risk. There is always risk, so learn to manage risk instead of avoid it. In 1995, I granted an interview with a newspaper in Sin- gapore. The young female reporter was on time, and the interview got under way immediately. We sat in the lobby of a luxurious hotel, sipping coffee and discussing the pur- pose of my visit to Singapore. I was to share the platform with Zig Ziglar. He was speaking on motivation, and I was speaking on "The Secrets of the Rich." "Someday, I would like to be a best-selling author like you," she said. I had seen some of the articles she had writ- ten for the paper, and I was impressed. She had a tough, clear style of writing. Her articles held a reader's interest. "You have a great style," I said in reply. "What holds you back from achieving your dream?" "My work does not seem to go anywhere," she said qui- etly. "Everyone says that my novels are excellent, but noth- Work to Learn-Don't Work for Money 171 "I am a terrible writer. You are a great writer. I went to sales school. You have a master's degree. Put them to- gether and you get a 'best-selling author' and a 'best-writ- ing author.' " Anger flared from her eyes. "I'll never stoop so low as to learn how to sell. People like you have no business writ- ing. I am a professionally trained writer and you are a salesman.