How to find motivated sellers?
What is a really great strategy to find motivated sellers? I mean a stategy that brings real results and it is less costly than spending lots of money on bandit signs, direct mail, etc. I want to get my start in the wholesale business and I could use some good info from you experts. I need help finding serious buyers who are ready to take action and buy. I don't have time for tire kickers who call themselves buyers. By the way, what are my chances at convincing a motivated seller to sell their property at a discount when buying with cash? I don't know what to say to the seller to convince them to sell their house for less than what it is worth and sell it for cash money they can get sooner rather than waiting months and months to get it sold with a listing agent.
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#1 Marketing Your Property Contributor
- Flipper/Rehabber
- Bakersfield, CA
Hello Sir,
I think you have a great chance at getting a reduced price with cash. Although a true cash offer isnt much different than a financed offer to the seller unless its a seller carryback.
As for the least expensive method for marketing and frankly effective although not necessarily in abundance and that is network marketing.
Tell everyone you know what you do. You may be surprised. The only hitch is that these folks youll be buying at a discount from are referrals from and also your COI...
Before I let anyone BS you with a 'guru cliche' and tell you that you don't find motivated sellers, they find you I want to let you know that it doesn't always work out that way.
Sometimes your most motivated sellers are too afraid and traumatized to pick up the phone and call or deal with anyone about their property. Often they just need a 'jump start' by someone they feel really comfortable with.
I find that many of your motivated sellers treat a distressed home like a dog they can no longer afford. They love the dog too much to give him away to just anyone and would rather see him go to a nice family instead. You the investor must position yourself to be that 'nice family'. Be sincere, honorable and reliable. Pushy and used car salesman type Investors need not apply.
Are vacant ugly homes a sign of motivated sellers? I get so many investors or gurus say it is best to travel around town and just hunt vacant for homes. Good idea or waste of time and gas?
Originally posted by Ibrahim S:
Before I let anyone BS you with a 'guru cliche' and tell you that you don't find motivated sellers, they find you I want to let you know that it doesn't always work out that way.Sometimes your most motivated sellers are too afraid and traumatized to pick up the phone and call or deal with anyone about their property. Often they just need a 'jump start' by someone they feel really comfortable with.
I find that many of your motivated sellers treat a distressed home like a dog they can no longer afford. They love the dog too much to give him away to just anyone and would rather see him go to a nice family instead. You the investor must position yourself to be that 'nice family'. Be sincere, honorable and reliable. Pushy and used car salesman type Investors need not apply.
It can yield deals but there's typically one or more motivating factors behind the vacant home that sparks a deal. Maybe the owner is deceased. Maybe it's near or in foreclosure. Maybe the homeowner is in a nursing home and his children don't know what to do with the house.
Hunt for the vacants and be prepared to be resourceful enough where you can solve their underlying issues. Those issues aren't always money related.
I have an investor-friend who just spent 12 months resolving probate issues and fronting the $5500 to do it. But he's getting paid nicely in return.
When you get into vacant/abandoned properties you're more of a psychologist, legal researcher (or whatever they call them) and problem solver than you are an investor.
I know of two probate investing experts who teaches how to make loads of profit flipping probate properties. One of them being Preston Ely.
Originally posted by Ibrahim S:
It can yield deals but there's typically one or more motivating factors behind the vacant home that sparks a deal. Maybe the owner is deceased. Maybe it's near or in foreclosure. Maybe the homeowner is in a nursing home and his children don't know what to do with the house.Hunt for the vacants and be prepared to be resourceful enough where you can solve their underlying issues. Those issues aren't always money related.
I have an investor-friend who just spent 12 months resolving probate issues and fronting the $5500 to do it. But he's getting paid nicely in return.
When you get into vacant/abandoned properties you're more of a psychologist, legal researcher (or whatever they call them) and problem solver than you are an investor.
What I do is drive around my target area and write every "For Rent", and "We Buy Houses for Cash" phone number I see. After I go home and call them, and use a generic script like "Hi, I'm an investor specializing in wholesales, can I send you an email with a questioner about what properties may fit your needs?" That's mainly how I built my buyers list.
Also, drive for dollars. Look for vacant, boarded up, run down houses without real estate agent signs in the front yard. Look up the owner on the tax records and ask if he wants to sell for a quick cash price. If he says yes, use this formula, although it is grossly simplified because I don't know what area you are in:
1. Find out the tax market value of the home
2. Estimate the repairs. (What I do is find out the square footage and multiply the square footage by $20 dollars for a complete over haul)
3. Subtract the tax market value from repairs needed
4. Divide that figure by 2
5. Subtract your profit from that amount
6. Put the property under contract
7. Mark up the price to reflect your profit margin.
Here is a concrete example:
Tax records say $100,000
Square footage is 1,500
1,500 sqft x $20.00 = $30,000 in repairs
$100,000 tax record value - $30,000 in repairs = $70,000 as is
$70,000 as is value (divided by) 2 = $35,000 wholesale price
You must subtract your profit from the wholesale price, so let's say you want to make $5,000 on this deal.
You would offer the owner $30,000 cash, as-is.
Then you would put it on Craigslist for $35,000 and put that it needs $30,000 in repairs for a total investment of $65,000 and that it will be worth $100,000.
One more thing, go to www.craigslist.com, under housing, click on real estate for sale and search for real estate - by owner.
2. Find listings with titles like; motivated seller, must sell now, investor's dream, calling all investors, investors special, cheap house, 3/1 Brick, won't last long, hurry, will sell fast, 50% ARV, anyway, you get the idea.
3. Call or email the seller and ask them to call you. Don't leave voice messages. When you get to speak with them on the phone, ask if they are wholesalers, If yes? Tell them you may have buyers that might be interested in the property.
4. Ask as many questions as you can about the property. You don't have to go through a script. If you don't know what to ask tell them to give you as many information as they can and send you as many pictures as they have. The most important questions to ask if it's not in their posting are: # of bedrooms, bathrooms, garage, brick, yearly taxes and how much it will take to get it in move in condition. Then ask them this very important question "If I find a buyer for you in 48 hours, what is the least price you will be willing to accept on the house?"
5. Drive around the neighborhood where the house is located and actively find "for rent" signs and "we buy houses" signs and write down all their numbers. If you have bandit signs, put at least 10 in the area.
6. Dial all the numbers and speak to all the buyers. You could also go to craigslist and under housing, click on apts/housing and call as many landlords as possible. Most important question to ask is "how many houses do you buy in a month or a year?" Based on the number you can tell if they are actively buying right now (at least 2 a month) or justtire kickers (less then 2, or new investors)
7. Once you find a serious, hungry buyer, give him all the information you have about the house, ask for his email address and send him all the pictures you have. Tell him your asking price which is $1000 over what you negotiated it for with the wholesaler.
8. If he wants to see the house, call the wholesaler to get access to the house
9. If he likes what he sees?, Sign the necessary contracts.
10. Follow up with buyer and wholesaler till the closing date and cash your sweet $1000 check.
Things to look out for:
1. While looking for wholesalers on craigslist, find those with more than one listing first before dealing with those with only one.
2. Make sure the houses are brick or block, at least 3 bedrooms in a good neighborhood
3. As for the price, ask the wholesaler how much houses are selling for in the area. You could also do your own diligence by looking at comps. Call a Realtor, and ask him or her to send you comps for the area.
4. If you call the "we buy houses" sign and the buyer happen to be a wholesaler, thank him for his time and call the next sign.
5. Chances are you will have more than one interested buyer. Screen them. The one single question to ask is " If everything I told you about the house is true, and the price is firm, when can you close". If they say in less then 30 days, you may have found a buyer (most will be in 7-10 days)
6. After finding the buyer, tell the wholesaler this is your first deal and you will need him to help you with the contract.
7. You could add more than $1000 to your asking price, but make sure it's still a wholesale price.
8. Don't be afraid to sound naive. Ask questions.
Worst case scenario: you don't find a buyer. So what? I guarantee you that you will learn a lot from your experience, you will feel more confident talking to sellers and buyers, you will know what buyers are looking for in the area, how much they are willing to pay, plus you will add at least 10 people to your buyer's list and if it's any consolation, you are better than 95% of people who spend 1000s of dollars on seminars and courses and do nothing.
This is a perfect, no money down, no risk, no time wasted scenario to get started in real estate investing.
Goodluck, Davion Malwah
Have you tried any of this and has it worked out for you? I attempeted to run comps on my own but I was not so good at it. None of the homes matched my target homes I wanted to get under contract.
Originally posted by Davion Malwah:
What I do is drive around my target area and write every "For Rent", and "We Buy Houses for Cash" phone number I see. After I go home and call them, and use a generic script like "Hi, I'm an investor specializing in wholesales, can I send you an email with a questioner about what properties may fit your needs?" That's mainly how I built my buyers list.Also, drive for dollars. Look for vacant, boarded up, run down houses without real estate agent signs in the front yard. Look up the owner on the tax records and ask if he wants to sell for a quick cash price. If he says yes, use this formula, although it is grossly simplified because I don't know what area you are in:
1. Find out the tax market value of the home
2. Estimate the repairs. (What I do is find out the square footage and multiply the square footage by $20 dollars for a complete over haul)
3. Subtract the tax market value from repairs needed
4. Divide that figure by 2
5. Subtract your profit from that amount
6. Put the property under contract
7. Mark up the price to reflect your profit margin.Here is a concrete example:
Tax records say $100,000
Square footage is 1,500
1,500 sqft x $20.00 = $30,000 in repairs$100,000 tax record value - $30,000 in repairs = $70,000 as is
$70,000 as is value (divided by) 2 = $35,000 wholesale price
You must subtract your profit from the wholesale price, so let's say you want to make $5,000 on this deal.
You would offer the owner $30,000 cash, as-is.
Then you would put it on Craigslist for $35,000 and put that it needs $30,000 in repairs for a total investment of $65,000 and that it will be worth $100,000.
One more thing, go to www.craigslist.com, under housing, click on real estate for sale and search for real estate - by owner.
2. Find listings with titles like; motivated seller, must sell now, investor's dream, calling all investors, investors special, cheap house, 3/1 Brick, won't last long, hurry, will sell fast, 50% ARV, anyway, you get the idea.
3. Call or email the seller and ask them to call you. Don't leave voice messages. When you get to speak with them on the phone, ask if they are wholesalers, If yes? Tell them you may have buyers that might be interested in the property.
4. Ask as many questions as you can about the property. You don't have to go through a script. If you don't know what to ask tell them to give you as many information as they can and send you as many pictures as they have. The most important questions to ask if it's not in their posting are: # of bedrooms, bathrooms, garage, brick, yearly taxes and how much it will take to get it in move in condition. Then ask them this very important question "If I find a buyer for you in 48 hours, what is the least price you will be willing to accept on the house?"
5. Drive around the neighborhood where the house is located and actively find "for rent" signs and "we buy houses" signs and write down all their numbers. If you have bandit signs, put at least 10 in the area.
6. Dial all the numbers and speak to all the buyers. You could also go to craigslist and under housing, click on apts/housing and call as many landlords as possible. Most important question to ask is "how many houses do you buy in a month or a year?" Based on the number you can tell if they are actively buying right now (at least 2 a month) or justtire kickers (less then 2, or new investors)
7. Once you find a serious, hungry buyer, give him all the information you have about the house, ask for his email address and send him all the pictures you have. Tell him your asking price which is $1000 over what you negotiated it for with the wholesaler.
8. If he wants to see the house, call the wholesaler to get access to the house
9. If he likes what he sees?, Sign the necessary contracts.
10. Follow up with buyer and wholesaler till the closing date and cash your sweet $1000 check.Things to look out for:
1. While looking for wholesalers on craigslist, find those with more than one listing first before dealing with those with only one.
2. Make sure the houses are brick or block, at least 3 bedrooms in a good neighborhood
3. As for the price, ask the wholesaler how much houses are selling for in the area. You could also do your own diligence by looking at comps. Call a Realtor, and ask him or her to send you comps for the area.
4. If you call the "we buy houses" sign and the buyer happen to be a wholesaler, thank him for his time and call the next sign.
5. Chances are you will have more than one interested buyer. Screen them. The one single question to ask is " If everything I told you about the house is true, and the price is firm, when can you close". If they say in less then 30 days, you may have found a buyer (most will be in 7-10 days)
6. After finding the buyer, tell the wholesaler this is your first deal and you will need him to help you with the contract.
7. You could add more than $1000 to your asking price, but make sure it's still a wholesale price.
8. Don't be afraid to sound naive. Ask questions.Worst case scenario: you don't find a buyer. So what? I guarantee you that you will learn a lot from your experience, you will feel more confident talking to sellers and buyers, you will know what buyers are looking for in the area, how much they are willing to pay, plus you will add at least 10 people to your buyer's list and if it's any consolation, you are better than 95% of people who spend 1000s of dollars on seminars and courses and do nothing.
This is a perfect, no money down, no risk, no time wasted scenario to get started in real estate investing.
Goodluck, Davion Malwah
Originally posted by Antonio Bodley:
I know of two probate investing experts who teaches how to make loads of profit flipping probate properties. One of them being Preston Ely.
Antonio,
They (Ely and others) make "loads of profit" by selling people on the idea of a quick and easy system to make "loads of profit" flipping probates... I doubt he's done many deals since he started his guru internet marketing junk.
Save yourself money and stay away from guru schemes like this. There is plenty of free info on the internet that will teach you exactly what they sell for hundreds, or thousands of dollars.
From what I been hearing about Preston is that he is not a fraud like most gurus out there. I heard good things about the guy. I have his Deeds from the Dead course and he explains everything he knows about probate investing along with providing all the tools to get started with probate investing.
Originally posted by Stinson Bland:Originally posted by Antonio Bodley:
I know of two probate investing experts who teaches how to make loads of profit flipping probate properties. One of them being Preston Ely.Antonio,
They (Ely and others) make "loads of profit" by selling people on the idea of a quick and easy system to make "loads of profit" flipping probates... I doubt he's done many deals since he started his guru internet marketing junk.
Save yourself money and stay away from guru schemes like this. There is plenty of free info on the internet that will teach you exactly what they sell for hundreds, or thousands of dollars.
Originally posted by Antonio Bodley:
What is a really great strategy to find motivated sellers? I mean a stategy that brings real results and it is less costly than spending lots of money on bandit signs, direct mail, etc. I want to get my start in the wholesale business and I could use some good info from you experts. I need help finding serious buyers who are ready to take action and buy. I don't have time for tire kickers who call themselves buyers. By the way, what are my chances at convincing a motivated seller to sell their property at a discount when buying with cash? I don't know what to say to the seller to convince them to sell their house for less than what it is worth and sell it for cash money they can get sooner rather than waiting months and months to get it sold with a listing agent.
So basically you want to get rich fast... easily... and without spending much money? And you're hoping someone here not only has that secret formula, but will offer it to you free of charge? Hmmm, cool, best of luck.
In wholesaling, you have 2 resources... time or money. You can either spend the money to save time... buy lists instead of creating them... place bandit signs so sellers find you versus you finding them... creating websites, etc etc etc... or you put in some good old fashion elbow grease... you network (free), you walk and knock (free), you mail to leads you find (cheap).
But hey, if you do find a free ticket to easy seat let me know where you get it, I'm in the market!
Get rich fast and easy is not what I mean as you put it. I am just a beginner looking to learn a better way to go about doing this. I never said I wanted to get rich fast easily. Although if that was ever truly possible to do here in this day and time, then that's great. Who would pass up that opportunity? Not me.
Originally posted by Nathan Emmert:Originally posted by Antonio Bodley:
What is a really great strategy to find motivated sellers? I mean a stategy that brings real results and it is less costly than spending lots of money on bandit signs, direct mail, etc. I want to get my start in the wholesale business and I could use some good info from you experts. I need help finding serious buyers who are ready to take action and buy. I don't have time for tire kickers who call themselves buyers. By the way, what are my chances at convincing a motivated seller to sell their property at a discount when buying with cash? I don't know what to say to the seller to convince them to sell their house for less than what it is worth and sell it for cash money they can get sooner rather than waiting months and months to get it sold with a listing agent.So basically you want to get rich fast... easily... and without spending much money? And you're hoping someone here not only has that secret formula, but will offer it to you free of charge? Hmmm, cool, best of luck.
In wholesaling, you have 2 resources... time or money. You can either spend the money to save time... buy lists instead of creating them... place bandit signs so sellers find you versus you finding them... creating websites, etc etc etc... or you put in some good old fashion elbow grease... you network (free), you walk and knock (free), you mail to leads you find (cheap).
But hey, if you do find a free ticket to easy seat let me know where you get it, I'm in the market!
Originally posted by Antonio Bodley:
Get rich fast and easy is not what I mean as you put it. I am just a beginner looking to learn a better way to go about doing this. I never said I wanted to get rich fast easily. Although if that was ever truly possible to do here in this day and time, then that's great. Who would pass up that opportunity? Not me.
Sorry, my post was probably out of line, feeling a bit fiesty today for some reason.
But let me ask you this... if all the successful people that post day after day on these forums are spouting the virtues of bandit signs, of mailings, of following through, of networking... basically of doing all the grunt work and spending the time, money, and effort required in making them the successes they are... what would you call asking those same people to show you the short cut?
The members have shown you the path. Hardwork and smart marketing. You ask for a "great strategy" (easy way) to find "motivated sellers" (very hard to find) without spending "lots of money" (cheap)... "serious buyers"... "ready to take action"... you "don't have time" (easy way).
Sorry if I got the wrong impression reading your post... but in reading it again, well, I'm still getting that impression.
Answer to your question, there is no easy way. The "great strategy" you want is working your butt off and following the tried and true paths of those before you. Tailor as you learn, don't attempt to invent a new better wheel because that other one just seems too darn hard... much worse, don't ask us to invent it for you.
I just started using this forum a short time ago and I have not been able to keep up with all of the posts that were made talking about all the grunt work you described?
Originally posted by Nathan Emmert:Originally posted by Antonio Bodley:
Get rich fast and easy is not what I mean as you put it. I am just a beginner looking to learn a better way to go about doing this. I never said I wanted to get rich fast easily. Although if that was ever truly possible to do here in this day and time, then that's great. Who would pass up that opportunity? Not me.Sorry, my post was probably out of line, feeling a bit fiesty today for some reason.
But let me ask you this... if all the successful people that post day after day on these forums are spouting the virtues of bandit signs, of mailings, of following through, of networking... basically of doing all the grunt work and spending the time, money, and effort required in making them the successes they are... what would you call asking those same people to show you the short cut?
The members have shown you the path. Hardwork and smart marketing. You ask for a "great strategy" (easy way) to find "motivated sellers" (very hard to find) without spending "lots of money" (cheap)... "serious buyers"... "ready to take action"... you "don't have time" (easy way).
Sorry if I got the wrong impression reading your post... but in reading it again, well, I'm still getting that impression.
Answer to your question, there is no easy way. The "great strategy" you want is working your butt off and following the tried and true paths of those before you. Tailor as you learn, don't attempt to invent a new better wheel because that other one just seems too darn hard... much worse, don't ask us to invent it for you.
The one thing that I found that is motivating some sellers today is if they are looking to move into another home and bump up. Larger homes have lost a greater percentage of value in many areas. Folks looking to move up are willing to accept the loss on their existing home when they look at the gain the bargain they are getting on the new home.
We generally find that properties with hair have motivated sellers. We focus on them first and foremost... We love mold, bad tenants, water damage, small or funky layouts, water in basements, you get the picture. However, we DON'T like termites or crooked / leaning buildings.
Originally posted by @Davion Malwah:
What I do is drive around my target area and write every "For Rent", and "We Buy Houses for Cash" phone number I see. After I go home and call them, and use a generic script like "Hi, I'm an investor specializing in wholesales, can I send you an email with a questioner about what properties may fit your needs?" That's mainly how I built my buyers list.
Also, drive for dollars. Look for vacant, boarded up, run down houses without real estate agent signs in the front yard. Look up the owner on the tax records and ask if he wants to sell for a quick cash price. If he says yes, use this formula, although it is grossly simplified because I don't know what area you are in:
1. Find out the tax market value of the home
2. Estimate the repairs. (What I do is find out the square footage and multiply the square footage by $20 dollars for a complete over haul)
3. Subtract the tax market value from repairs needed
4. Divide that figure by 2
5. Subtract your profit from that amount
6. Put the property under contract
7. Mark up the price to reflect your profit margin.Here is a concrete example:
Tax records say $100,000
Square footage is 1,500
1,500 sqft x $20.00 = $30,000 in repairs$100,000 tax record value - $30,000 in repairs = $70,000 as is
$70,000 as is value (divided by) 2 = $35,000 wholesale price
You must subtract your profit from the wholesale price, so let's say you want to make $5,000 on this deal.
You would offer the owner $30,000 cash, as-is.
Then you would put it on Craigslist for $35,000 and put that it needs $30,000 in repairs for a total investment of $65,000 and that it will be worth $100,000.
One more thing, go to www.craigslist.com, under housing, click on real estate for sale and search for real estate - by owner.
2. Find listings with titles like; motivated seller, must sell now, investor's dream, calling all investors, investors special, cheap house, 3/1 Brick, won't last long, hurry, will sell fast, 50% ARV, anyway, you get the idea.
3. Call or email the seller and ask them to call you. Don't leave voice messages. When you get to speak with them on the phone, ask if they are wholesalers, If yes? Tell them you may have buyers that might be interested in the property.
4. Ask as many questions as you can about the property. You don't have to go through a script. If you don't know what to ask tell them to give you as many information as they can and send you as many pictures as they have. The most important questions to ask if it's not in their posting are: # of bedrooms, bathrooms, garage, brick, yearly taxes and how much it will take to get it in move in condition. Then ask them this very important question "If I find a buyer for you in 48 hours, what is the least price you will be willing to accept on the house?"
5. Drive around the neighborhood where the house is located and actively find "for rent" signs and "we buy houses" signs and write down all their numbers. If you have bandit signs, put at least 10 in the area.
6. Dial all the numbers and speak to all the buyers. You could also go to craigslist and under housing, click on apts/housing and call as many landlords as possible. Most important question to ask is "how many houses do you buy in a month or a year?" Based on the number you can tell if they are actively buying right now (at least 2 a month) or justtire kickers (less then 2, or new investors)
7. Once you find a serious, hungry buyer, give him all the information you have about the house, ask for his email address and send him all the pictures you have. Tell him your asking price which is $1000 over what you negotiated it for with the wholesaler.
8. If he wants to see the house, call the wholesaler to get access to the house
9. If he likes what he sees?, Sign the necessary contracts.
10. Follow up with buyer and wholesaler till the closing date and cash your sweet $1000 check.Things to look out for:
1. While looking for wholesalers on craigslist, find those with more than one listing first before dealing with those with only one.
2. Make sure the houses are brick or block, at least 3 bedrooms in a good neighborhood
3. As for the price, ask the wholesaler how much houses are selling for in the area. You could also do your own diligence by looking at comps. Call a Realtor, and ask him or her to send you comps for the area.
4. If you call the "we buy houses" sign and the buyer happen to be a wholesaler, thank him for his time and call the next sign.
5. Chances are you will have more than one interested buyer. Screen them. The one single question to ask is " If everything I told you about the house is true, and the price is firm, when can you close". If they say in less then 30 days, you may have found a buyer (most will be in 7-10 days)
6. After finding the buyer, tell the wholesaler this is your first deal and you will need him to help you with the contract.
7. You could add more than $1000 to your asking price, but make sure it's still a wholesale price.
8. Don't be afraid to sound naive. Ask questions.Worst case scenario: you don't find a buyer. So what? I guarantee you that you will learn a lot from your experience, you will feel more confident talking to sellers and buyers, you will know what buyers are looking for in the area, how much they are willing to pay, plus you will add at least 10 people to your buyer's list and if it's any consolation, you are better than 95% of people who spend 1000s of dollars on seminars and courses and do nothing.
This is a perfect, no money down, no risk, no time wasted scenario to get started in real estate investing.
Goodluck, Davion Malwah
Saved my life... How can I be in touch?
That's a pretty detailed description of what a beginner can do to get some hands on action wholesaling this way. Good info.
Originally posted by @Antonio Bodley:
... I need help finding serious buyers who are ready to take action and buy. I don't have time for tire kickers who call themselves buyers....
This seems to contradict the title of the thread. You are trying to find buyers or sellers?
@Antonio Bodley Heyy, Just curious to know ! Did you ever get started ? If yes, whats the progress ?
Wow Davion Malwah that was really in depth ..I am a newbie from Newark NJ looking to break into wholesaling next month and I fill like I have enough information to at least begin ...I have one question though where do I get the contracts from ?
I'm a a newbie also but I took a few classes and you get the contract with the seller and then assign it to one of your buyers on the list you worked hard to put together I learned all the and or assign contract I just wish my software would tell me how much the seller is asking for can I find that out somewhere
@Misty Cook That's the basic gist of wholesaling. You, as the investor, need to figure out how much the seller is asking for their property, though. I wish it was that easy; if there was software that would tell you how much the seller was asking for, investors would be out of business. Large hedge funds would get their hands on that and offer more than what most of us normal investors are able to pay.
Personally, talking on the phone has always been the toughest part for me. I found that not having a script helps out because I'm not over thinking every word I say. Just look at it as a conversation with a normal person, and you'll start seeing results. These are some of the common ways I ask sellers what their asking price is: "What's your walkaway price?" or "Is any number too low for you?". If they're reluctant to give me the price when I ask initially, I typically get them to talk about the repairs needed on the property, then I ask the question in a different way. Talking to sellers is definitely a skill that took me a while to master. You only get better through experience.
Wishing you the best in your investment journey!