Have you ever looked around and wondered how everyone is buying houses? Are they really doing that much better than you are? Maybe. Maybe not. Some people have gone deep into debt to purchase a home and are teetering on the brink of financial free fall. Others used creative unconventional financing to afford a home. There may be not-yet discovered risks and consequences to this type of home financing. But there is a fairly substantial group of people who were able to buy a house because they were the recipients of some unexpected or untraditional cash windfall.

A contest winning, an inheritance, or an insurance settlement are three financial gifts which open doors that were previously closed due to insufficient funds. Winning the lottery or sweepstakes or casino jackpot can mean some great money for a new home. I wouldnt count on winning money though to make your home owning dreams a reality. An inheritance is more likely, cashing in when loved ones shuffle off their mortal coil, leaving you a loving treasure. Many people are able to use an inheritance to buy a home. And pretty much as common as being left money and winning money is being rewarded money.

A structured settlement is established when the court decides someone owes someone else a lot of money. This is often paid out over time in smaller increments via an annuity. Plenty of people are living off of settlement checks or buying houses with lump sum settlements. So what do the rest of us do if their lottery eludes us, our relatives are financially barren, and we have no cause to sue anyone for money? We work, and save and scrimp and plan. Sure we hope we get lucky, but were not holding our breath.