Chris Prefontaine’s real estate journey is a masterclass in resilience: after nearly losing everything in the 2008 crash while relying on banks and big down payments, he rebuilt from scratch using only creative, non-traditional techniques—no personal loans, no banks, no credit exposure. What started as survival turned into a thriving family business and the Inc. 5000-ranked Smart Real Estate Coach company. The secret sauce? Three bank-free buying strategies (owner financing, lease-purchase, and subject-to existing loans) that let him and his students scoop up properties on terms, often locking in low 2–4% mortgages that sellers are desperate to offload because “life happens”—divorce, job loss, inheritance headaches, or insurance spikes in places like Florida. #CreativeRealEstate #NoBankNeeded