Developer · Powell, OH · Member since 2016 · 59 posts · 44 votes
Hi, I am starting out in wholesaling and intend to move on in a few months to fixing and flipping. I am in search of information related to setting up domain names and web sites. I have heard that if you start a search to see if a domain name is taken that sometimes hackers will purchase the domain name you are interested in, snap it up and buy it cheap right from under you as you are inputting your credit card number. Then, apparently, they mark it up hugely and you have to pay much more to secure your domain name(s). Has anyone else heard of this, and is there any way around it? I am afraid to even search on GoDaddy.
Also, any advice on setting up multiple web sites for wholesaling? I was thinking one to establish legitimacy with my actual S Corp name, largely informational, a few others with a "we buy houses" type of domain for lead generation, and then another one on which to showcase deals to investor buyers. Does this sound logical or overkill?
Springfield, MO · Member since 2016 · 3 posts · 3 votes
9y
Checking a domain name's availability on a domain name seller's site (eg, GoDaddy) will always run you the risk that the domain itself will sweep it up by that seller. A good option is checking on whois, which is provided by a party which does not sell domains (and as such would have no reason to steal your domain), or alternatively by using the terminal-level whois command if you are familiar with your command line or UNIX at all. It takes like 10 seconds -- if you want to PM me your domain names I can run that kind of search on them and let you know, if you don't have the skills yourself.
Realtor · celebration, kissimmee FL · Member since 2016 · 8 posts · 1 vote
9y
hello BP friends happy new year .
Alicia ,there is a free website that you can build yourself and add the domain name your self it's advertised all over the nation and BP use it also what a great way to have peace of mind . and you can call big daddy .com directly and purchase a domaine knowing your not exposing all your personnel info on the web and be at risk . check the podcast on BP for the web site ,good luck .
Springfield, MO · Member since 2016 · 3 posts · 3 votes
9y
Checking a domain name's availability on a domain name seller's site (eg, GoDaddy) will always run you the risk that the domain itself will sweep it up by that seller. A good option is checking on whois, which is provided by a party which does not sell domains (and as such would have no reason to steal your domain), or alternatively by using the terminal-level whois command if you are familiar with your command line or UNIX at all. It takes like 10 seconds -- if you want to PM me your domain names I can run that kind of search on them and let you know, if you don't have the skills yourself.
Real Estate Broker · Tampa Bay/St Petersburg, FL · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
9y
I personally don't think there is any real risk of someone stealing your desired domain name just because you searched for it on GoDaddy.
That being said, millions of domain names get searched, bought, and sold everyday - so it appears to happen enough to keep the myth alive.
While it's always a good idea to have a professional website, you may find it's difficult to compete/rank well enough to generate enough traffic to generate enough leads to fill your pipeline.
I'm not saying don't put time and effort into your website, I'm saying don't count on it being your primary source of leads. Real estate-related search terms are extremely competitive on the search engines, and search engine optimization (SEO) can take years to perfect.
Buy & Hold Owner · Redlands, CA · Member since 2015 · 5k+ posts · 2k+ votes
9y
When you sit down to search, be prepared to buy it right then. It becomes a non-issue.
FYI: remember, that if you wanted FOO.COM, that other FOOs may exist and it is normal by the design of the W3C, eg FOO.MIL, FOO.NET, FOO.GOV, FOO.ORG, FOO.EDU. Just because you buy one, does not mean you own all.