MLS and Craigslist Keywords for Finding Deals

MLS and Craigslist Keywords for Finding Deals

Davenport , IA · Member since 2011 · 213 posts · 265 votes

When looking for deals, what keywords do YOU use to find them on the MLS? How about on Craigslist? Here is a list Ive been putting together. Feel free to add more if you want. Hope this helps someone!

Moving

Moved

Probate

Inherited

Passed Away

Deceased

Executor

Heirs

Death

Code Violation

Code Enforcement

Condemned

Condemnation

Mold

Tear Down

Fire Damaged

Abandoned

Very Motivated

Distressed

Lost Job

Divorce

Bankruptcy

Fire Sale

Health Problems

Health Issues

Must Sell

Liquidation

TLC

Short Sale

Vacant

Motivated

Divorce

Fixer

Fixer-upper

Must sell

Make offer

Estate

Absentee

Transfer/ Transferred

Vacant

Handyman

Bankrupt

Retire

Retired

Retiring

Investor

Investment

Deal

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Specialist · Redding, CA · Member since 2015 · 89 posts · 16 votes
10y

Moving,Moved,Probate,Inherited, Passed Away,Deceased,Executor, Heirs,Death, Code Violation, Code Enforcement, Condemned, Condemnation, Mold, Tear Down, Fire Damaged, Abandoned, Very Motivated, Distressed, Lost Job, Divorce,Bankruptcy, Fire Sale, Health Problems, Health Issues, Must Sell, Liquidation, TLC, Short Sale, Vacant, Motivated, Divorce, Fixer, Fixer-upper, Must sell, Make offer ,Estate, Absentee, Transfer, Transferred, Vacant, Handyman, Bankrupt,  Retire, Retired, Retiring, Investor, Investment, Deal, Probate,inherited foreclosure ,short sale, preforeclosure, pre-foreclosure, pre foreclosure, estate, bring, all offers, vandalized, uninsured, junker, must sell , investor special, special warranty deed, quit claim deed ,heir ,heirs ,TLC ,motivated ,fixer ,fixer upper, fixer-upper, deferred maintenance, repairs, as-is, as is, relocation, rented, tenant, do not disturb tenant, owner will carry, owner will carry 2nd , owner finance , owner will finance , personal rep ,personal representative, estate, trustee, basement issues, basement repairs, basement problems ,foundation issues ,foundation repairs ,foundation problems, structural issues, structural repairs, structural problems, no FHA, lease option, engineer report, price change, sell house fast, sell my house fast, sell a house fast, sell your house fast, sell home fast, need to sell house fast, need to sell my house fast, we buy houses, we buy homes, I buy houses, I buy homes, cash home buyers, cash house buyers, fast home buyers, fast house buyers, how to sell house fast, sell house quickly, sell house for cash, buy my house, buy my house fast, sell without a Realtor, sell house without an agent, sell house with tenant, sell house without repairs, sell vacant house, contractors special, handyman special

now copy and paste!

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15 Replies

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  • Rental Property Investor · East Wenatchee, WA · Member since 2014 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
    11y

    Good list @Kenneth E.!  I don't search nearly as much as I used to anymore, but in the past have used:  Motivated  Anxious  Flexible  Carry  Owner Options Lease Hurry Help Down Before 

    to name a few.  Cheers!

  • Davenport , IA · Member since 2011 · 213 posts · 265 votes
    11y

    Nice!   Thanks for sharing.  

  • Davenport , IA · Member since 2011 · 213 posts · 265 votes
    11y

    Someone else sent these additional keywords to me:

    Probate
    inherited
    foreclosure
    short sale
    preforeclosure
    pre-foreclosure
    pre foreclosure
    estate
    bring all offers
    vandalized
    uninsured
    junker
    must sell
    investor special
    special warranty deed
    quit claim deed
    heir
    heirs
    TLC
    motivated
    fixer
    fixer upper
    fixer-upper
    deferred maintenance
    repairs
    as-is
    as is
    relocation
    rented
    tenant
    do not disturb tenant
    owner will carry
    owner will carry 2nd
    owner finance
    owner will finance
    personal rep
    personal representative
    estate
    trustee
    basement issues
    basement repairs
    basement problems
    foundation issues
    foundation repairs
    foundation problems
    structural issues
    structural repairs
    structural problems
    no FHA
    lease option
    engineer report
    price change
    sell house fast
    sell my house fast
    sell a house fast
    sell your house fast
    sell home fast
    need to sell house fast
    need to sell my house fast
    we buy houses
    we buy homes
    I buy houses
    I buy homes
    cash home buyers
    cash house buyers
    fast home buyers
    fast house buyers
    how to sell house fast
    sell house quickly
    sell house for cash
    buy my house
    buy my house fast
    sell without a Realtor
    sell house without an agent
    sell house with tenant
    sell house without repairs
    sell vacant house
    contractors special
    handyman special

  • Investor · Miami, FL · Member since 2013 · 807 posts · 475 votes
    11y
    This is a great thread. The one problem with craigslist in Miami is I see people buying properties off the MLS and reselling them on Craigslist for a huge mark up. I don't know if this happens in other cities but here most of the Craigslist properties are way over-priced. Last week a property sold on the MLS for $85,000 and it just popped up on Craigslist for $160,000 (still in the same condition).
  • Investor · Miami Beach, FL · Member since 2015 · 175 posts · 82 votes
    11y

    @Nat C. I see this happen all the time too. 

    99% of the time, these are properties under contract by a wholesaler that sourced the house off-market and then a person with access to the MLS, will list it on the MLS with a marked up price as a form of "real estate arbitrage" in hopes of flipping the wholesaled home within the time it is under contract and profiting from the difference.

    It's getting hard to find deals in Miami. The most powerful way for me has been relationships with agents, wholesalers, other investors, bird dogs etc. Relationships is important in any form of business, but in real estate it is extremely important. I have found deals on MLS, that when negotiated properly, materialized to be great deals.

  • Mike HurneyPro Member
    Real Estate Investor · Boston, MA · Member since 2009 · 2k+ posts · 542 votes
    11y

    @Nat C.

    "Last week a property sold on the MLS for $85,000 and it just popped up on Craigslist for $160,000 (still in the same condition)."

    If this is your market, what is it worth?

  • Mike HurneyPro Member
    Real Estate Investor · Boston, MA · Member since 2009 · 2k+ posts · 542 votes
    11y

    @Kenneth E. I'm more interested in which words you've had luck with in your area and why you thought they worked?

  • Developer · Bentonville, AR · Member since 2013 · 45 posts · 25 votes
    11y

    not included in square footage

    bonus room

    + office

    unfinished basement

    Look for the easy sf add ons. Agents have restrictions on how they advertise certain spaces. You can add the ductwork, or closet, or wall off a door to get the sf (and value) added to the house.

  • New York City, NY · Member since 2015 · 95 posts · 39 votes
    10y

    @Nat C.Buyer beware!  :)

  • Specialist · Redding, CA · Member since 2015 · 89 posts · 16 votes
    10y

    Moving,Moved,Probate,Inherited, Passed Away,Deceased,Executor, Heirs,Death, Code Violation, Code Enforcement, Condemned, Condemnation, Mold, Tear Down, Fire Damaged, Abandoned, Very Motivated, Distressed, Lost Job, Divorce,Bankruptcy, Fire Sale, Health Problems, Health Issues, Must Sell, Liquidation, TLC, Short Sale, Vacant, Motivated, Divorce, Fixer, Fixer-upper, Must sell, Make offer ,Estate, Absentee, Transfer, Transferred, Vacant, Handyman, Bankrupt,  Retire, Retired, Retiring, Investor, Investment, Deal, Probate,inherited foreclosure ,short sale, preforeclosure, pre-foreclosure, pre foreclosure, estate, bring, all offers, vandalized, uninsured, junker, must sell , investor special, special warranty deed, quit claim deed ,heir ,heirs ,TLC ,motivated ,fixer ,fixer upper, fixer-upper, deferred maintenance, repairs, as-is, as is, relocation, rented, tenant, do not disturb tenant, owner will carry, owner will carry 2nd , owner finance , owner will finance , personal rep ,personal representative, estate, trustee, basement issues, basement repairs, basement problems ,foundation issues ,foundation repairs ,foundation problems, structural issues, structural repairs, structural problems, no FHA, lease option, engineer report, price change, sell house fast, sell my house fast, sell a house fast, sell your house fast, sell home fast, need to sell house fast, need to sell my house fast, we buy houses, we buy homes, I buy houses, I buy homes, cash home buyers, cash house buyers, fast home buyers, fast house buyers, how to sell house fast, sell house quickly, sell house for cash, buy my house, buy my house fast, sell without a Realtor, sell house without an agent, sell house with tenant, sell house without repairs, sell vacant house, contractors special, handyman special

    now copy and paste!

  • Wholesaler · Radcliff, KY · Member since 2016 · 31 posts · 7 votes
    9y

    Have you guys had any luck with copy and pasting all those keys words at one time? I keep getting an error. 

  • Austin, TX · Member since 2015 · 92 posts · 45 votes
    9y

    Thanks for the post @Kenneth E., I'm in the process of automating my Craigslist leads and this post helped me brainstorm. 

    By the way if you are searching CL don't forget to separate search terms with the " | " symbol (look to the right of P on your keyboard)

    Example:

    Motivated | Must sell | foreclosure

  • Davenport , IA · Member since 2011 · 213 posts · 265 votes
    9y

    Nice point! Thanks!

  • Real Estate Agent · Las Vegas, NV · Member since 2016 · 589 posts · 275 votes
    8y

    that list is great, i know Im hella late to the party but thanks @Derek Torculas

  • Real Estate Broker · Miami, FL · Member since 2018 · 5 posts · 1 vote
    7y

    Any one been able to copy and paste keywords in miami mls?

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