Probate Marketing

[Chris Bounds]

Probate investors...

Do you send DM to probate leads where the applicant (executor) address is the same as the deceased address?  Presumably 99% of the time it will be a surviving spouse.  I'm assuming that they will be much less likely to sell than an heir that is detached from the property.

The list I get in Harris County is in two categories.  One where the applicant address is the same as the deceased and one where the addresses are different.  Neither lists actually specify ownership of property so I guess I'll be spending some time on the county websites searching for names in the property tax records to verify they own property.  Or is there a more time effective way to do that?

[Rick H.]

Originally posted by @Brian G.:

Originally posted by @Chris Bounds:

Probate investors...

Do you send DM to probate leads where the applicant (executor) address is the same as the deceased address?  Presumably 99% of the time it will be a surviving spouse.  I'm assuming that they will be much less likely to sell than an heir that is detached from the property.

The list I get in Harris County is in two categories.  One where the applicant address is the same as the deceased and one where the addresses are different.  Neither lists actually specify ownership of property so I guess I'll be spending some time on the county websites searching for names in the property tax records to verify they own property.  Or is there a more time effective way to do that?

I don't mail to any probate leads if a surviving spouse still lives in the subject property.  My thinking was they would be more emotionally involved, so I choose to leave them alone.

And as you mentioned, I verify ownership of the property by checking the tax database.  It should be pretty quick if you can access it online.

 You are imposing your belief system upon your target list. 

We might as well have this conversation about probate and decased owner property right now.

If you want to make real money, serious life-changing money where you don't have to list properties or wholesale for tips, learn to recognize when you are making assumptions. 

Let the market be your guide, not what you think is your concience telling you not to mail to a particular party. 

I've helped hundreds and hundreds of surviving spouses because other people avoid talking to them like they've got the plague. Really, it's just people who are inexperienced and uncomfortable talking with doneone who they are afraid might be grieving, 

While some certainly are, not all widows are grief struck. Trust me on this.