All Forum Posts by: Dev Horn

Nicasio T. -hang in there, man, you're doing many of the right things. But as others said, you need to have a target audience that is:
1) Qualified - the right people
2) MUCH Larger - many people target 1000, 2500, 3000 people in their direct mail campaigns

Listsource is good - it's the website for CoreLogic and they actually get data from local sources (courthouses, etc.).

The only way the deals would "dry up" is if every house is now in perfect "retail ready" condition, every homeowner gets a great job, everyone makes all their payments on time, people stop getting divorces, people stop passing away, etc. etc.

Yes, market conditions will vary by locale, but deals happen every day and new opportunities pop up all the time.

Successful investors do it thru MARKETING - the constant communication with your target market via multiple "touches" over an extended period of time. You want people to begin to "know" you and "trust" you because they are aware of what you do. That's why we think branding is important. Homeowners in targeted areas or situation get a LOT of contact from "a guy that wants to buy their house". For them to actually pick up the phone and call you, they need to feel that you are offering a (legitimate) potential solution to their "problem". That came thru establishing TRUST.

Now, sure some people find deals on the MLS, where literally HUNDREDS of investors are trolling for deals. Prepare to get in a bidding war. The best scenario is finding those motivated sellers who are NOT on the MLS and are only talking to YOU.

The issue here is not just the viability of the guru programs - there is the question of how you create a sustainable business in the long run. 500 letter sent out a month, to a list that others are targeting as well - absentees, expired, FSBO, whatever - is just not much marketing. Now if you're just trying to find 1 or 2 deals a year that will work fine. But the people that generate serious cash in this business are doing way more marketing and way more deals. You don't want a 30-day plan, you want a 5-year plan (at least). Think strategically & think BIG. We're in a great market in most areas. The time is now to jump on this opportunity.

All that said, Dean Letfus makes a great point. Seems like 90% of the people TALK about this and 10% DO THIS.

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." ~ Walt Disney

I have blocked 2008 to 2011 completely out of my memory. It was JUST MONEY. :-( sniff snifff

Welcome back, Michael Garrett!

=P No kidding. We're thinking of few of these may make it into production....

Unless you're sending out a large volume of letters or postcards (i.e., thousands at a time. in a multi-touch campaign), it seems like your call volume would be reasonable and you should be able to ANSWER the calls. If I get a direct mail piece and decide to act upon it (call), and I get voicemail? CLICK.

So what if you talk to a few tire kickers? They may eventually sell to you IF you manage these leads and follow up over time as Tim G. does. And even if they don't sell to you, they may recommend you to a friend or family member. Everyone you talk to could become someone that contributes to your business in some way. I've never had someone tell me to call a business to hear their voicemail message.

Point is, at the beginning, talk to everyone that contacts you. You will learn a LOT, and IF your marketing is properly targeted, you should be talking to the right people.

At We Buy Houses®, we test many concepts to find the best options for our licensees.

Here's some bandit sign concepts that didn't make the cut:
http://marketing.webuyhouses.com/silly-bandit-signs/

Brian Porter's original post here said the gentleman mailed 30,000 postcards. Later, when he asked for clarification, it sounded like he mailed 30,000 LETTERS. All to senior citizens. That is a one-time carpet bombing of a very particular group. Most investors, as mentioned by others above, will vary their mailers, target a group with MUCH wider demographics & financial scenarios, and touch them multiple times over the course of a direct mail CAMPAIGN.

Tell you're buddy that direct mail seems to suck because he did it wrong.

Brian Lane - I think you're right, and that using a mix over the course of a campaign might be the best solution.

Jerry Puckett - You're a good man, Jerry. I enjoy the discussion and learning from one another.

Go Mark Ferguson! VERY COOL!