Exploring the options
Loni Graiver sold real estate part-time in college. But he began his career in earnest shortly after graduation, when he started his own one-man company. At 23, he was the youngest designated broker—the highest level of Maine’s four-tier licensing system—in state history. His 1999 volume was $7 million.
About 75 percent of Graiver’s business is buyers, especially “people who never thought they’d be able to afford a house.”
The key, he says, is to explore as many financing options as possible. “Can they borrow from their 401(k)? Can they get a gift? Would a letter to a credit agency help? You have to consider every option.”
Graiver also owns and manages seven rental properties. “I really believe in owning real estate,” he says. “It’s one of the main sources of wealth creation in the country.”