A "bad market" in this instance means a real estate market where there is little to no appreciation, the market is clogged with unsold houses, depressing sales and foreclosures are up; torpedoing home values.

So clearly, the traditional, "buy, fix up and flip" or buy and sell to a rehabber is not going to work in this environment. In fact, it is those very flippers who were late to the party or just plain greedy and are now bailing out and dumping their properties, that are helping to drive down home sales and prices.

So what is a real estate investor to do to make some quick money, especially if he or she is new or has no resources, which describes many flippers?

The solution to this dilemma lies in understanding the needs of property owners who have to sell in the reality of today's market.

People looking to sell in this environment are going to have problems; huge problems if they are forced to sell at this time.

The houses will sit on the market for months with no offers or very low offers. The homes value will slowly erode as the homeowner waits for Godot.

In fact, many people are or will be trapped in their homes; perhaps unable to afford to stay, unable to sell; especially if they have little or no equity in their homes.

In order to get out of their homes, they would have to bring cash to the closing and "buy" their way out of the house. This is impractical for most people, especially if their need to sell is financial as many are.

Rising mortgage payments, the result of financially incongruous mortgages, so prevalent during the recently departed "Boom;" called for "Resets" a few years after origination at 50-100% increases in payments.