All Forum Posts by: Dev Horn

YellowLetters.com is a legit source for what you need - and @Michael Quarles also offers a turn-key direct mail marketing program that incorporates his vast knowledge in REI marketing. I'm sure there are others here that are great choices as well, but you won't go wrong with either of those guys.

We try to TAKE every call LIVE so we rarely are "returning" calls.  And if they go to  voicemail, etc., we return EVERY CALL and we make a cash offer to EVERY SELLER even if we know it will not be acceptable.  They could come back in 6 months and ask if the offer is still good.

But we also try to solve the seller's problem - whether with a cash offer or something else like listing the house, owner financing, subject to's, lease option, property management, etc.  So YES we take every call and unless we're too slammed we try to meet every seller in person.

Even if we can't buy their house, they might have a brother, aunt, parent, or friend that needs to sell fast for cash as-is...

This is a people business and every person is a new "node" in your network... add as many nodes as possible by engaging with everyone that reaches out to you...

@William Dampier is right - Real Acquisitions has very good data for the Houston area.  We have used their data for direct mail in D/FW.  We had to do some data clean-up, split name fields into first & last, etc.  They get their data directly from counties, etc.  I believe they have a monthly subscription fee.

Listsource.com is provided by CoreLogic - they are a big data provider to the real estate & mortgage industries.  good data and easy to use as it is well formatted and "clean".  With them you just buy the data by the record - 8 to 18+ cents depending on the criteria you use (such as Equity%).

I am impressed with those who can invest remotely.  I guess I am too much of a control freak (?) or maybe it's just the craziness of this business.  This afternoon, I got an urgent text message from my agent about a property (listed, she has info that the sellers are in a panic).  So, I'm about to head over there and check it out.  Probably submit a (well-below-listed-price) offer on it in the morning....  The only way I could be doing this remotely is with a business partner here, which means splitting profits (or my partner wondering WHY we split profits while she does all the work! ha ha).... 

 As a marketer, I find this to be one of the most encouraging comments I've read on BP.  This is what it's all about.  I want to send Morris' comments to everyone that wants to quit after month 2.  =)

"A federal tax lien is a general, statutory, involuntary lien on all real and personal property held by the delinquent tax payer.  It's priority, however, is based on the date of filing or recording; it does not supersede previously recorded liens."  (Modern Real Estate Practice)

So an IRS lien will not always win over others, but I believe Wayne is right in this case  - the buyer's IRS lien will be superior to the mortgage lien - not because it's the IRS per se, but because the filing date of the IRS action preceded the creation of the mortgage lien.

The cheapest way to get lists is often pulling them directly from the county - either online or down at the county courthouse or where they are in your area. 

We buy lists from Listsource.com which is run by CoreLogic - one of the top data providers to the real estate industry.  It's not free or cheap, but with their data you can eliminate mailing to people with no equity, etc.  The list is CHEAP compared to the repeated MAILINGS, so you want a very high quality list.

Rather than sending just letters, consider mailing postcards - they are about half the cost of letters.  Actually YellowLetters.com has some really great postcards with messages that they've refined over time.  Consider using a vendor like those guys so you can focus your time on building relationships and doing deals...

“Your most important shot is the next one.” ~ Ben Hogan

BINGO.  Most are attracted to the "No Money, No Credit" pitch.  That said, it's a legit way to get started in the business.

And, there are investors (or marketers) that just want to focus on the finding part, not the project/rehab part.  There is way more risk in the rehab.  When you wholesale, you may leave $ on the table but it's quick low risk income vs. longer-term higher-risk opportunity to make the "big bucks".   As in all investments, most $ is associated with the highest risk (when all goes WELL. =)

I think business cards are one of the best investments you can make when you get started because they:

1) Help you communicate to everyone you know that you are now doing this - and your COI is the #1 place to start.

2) Give you an inexpensive way to leave your contact info with all the people you encounter in this business - sellers, agents, title company staff, lenders, buyers, etc.

3) (In general) Help you establish your IDENTITY as a real estate professional.

And let's face it. if you can't afford business cards, you do not have the working capital needed to start and succeed in this business.

"Success isn't owned. It's leased, and payment is due every day." ~ J.J. Watt

Doing well @Gerry Medina - hey I have a buyer there in your area with DEEP pockets of real cash.  I'd love to have a shot at any wholesale deals you find there.  Keep us in mind!