All Forum Posts by: Jeremy Beland

Back in 2019, we faced a challenging situation that fundamentally changed the way we handle our real estate transactions. It was a hard lesson that nearly cost us a $25,000 deal, countless hours of effort, and more sleepless nights than I’d care to admit.

We had a prime deal lined up, with a buyer who was eager to move forward. But there was a catch—they insisted on using a hard money lender. While we knew that all hard money lenders are not created equal, and some could be good….we knew from our own experience that using hard money could cause a deal to fall apart by making the process less seamless than we needed it to be.

What ensued was a month-long nightmare that tested our patience and threatened to derail everything we had worked for.

The lender moved at a snail’s pace, bogging us down with endless requests for additional walkthroughs, appraisals, and paperwork. As the closing date approached, the seller’s frustration grew, and so did our anxiety. The lack of clear communication from the lender left us in the dark, wondering if this deal would ever see the light of day.

The night before closing, we were still in limbo, with no confirmation that the deal would go through. I was overwhelmed—stressed, frustrated, and feeling utterly powerless. Every call I made to the lender seemed to escalate the tension. At one point, I was even accused of being unprofessional simply for demanding answers. But how could I not be on edge when the entire deal, and our reputation, was hanging by a thread?

In the end, we managed to close the deal, but just barely. The relief of getting it done was overshadowed by the chaos and near disaster that came with it. That experience was a wake-up call.

From that day forward, we made a vow: no more hard money lenders. We’d rather accept a lower offer from a true cash buyer who can close smoothly and on time, using our trusted title company. The peace of mind and seamless transactions are far more valuable than squeezing out a few extra dollars from a deal that could fall apart at any moment.

Real estate isn’t just about the highest bid; it’s about the relationships and reliability that ensure deals are closed efficiently and without unnecessary stress. We’ve learned the hard way that sometimes, the best choice isn’t the one with the highest price tag. For us, peace of mind always comes before profits. 

#RealEstateLessons #CashIsKing #HardMoneyLender #RealEstateInvesting #TrustYourGut

I didn’t say the person was horrible, and I don’t blame them. In fact, I admired what they did and wanted to learn how to do the same. That experience pushed me to grow, learn, and ultimately do what I’m doing today—helping others create successful off-market real estate strategies. Wholesaling, when done right, can be a win-win for everyone involved, and my goal is to ensure that happens through transparency and education. Thanks for your input.

Quote from @Dave Kush:

There are some really excellent points in here, thank you for sharing. How did they know you were hard up financially? Were you in a bad spot or just trying to get that deal done? Thank you again

Quote from @Jeremy Beland:

It was a nightmare which only made me $4k.

After securing the deal, the buyer made my wife and I go through three-feet deep of snow to "winterize" the house so there wouldn't be any plumbing issues.

It was a 2 hour drive there, and a 2 hour drive back.

So much time and effort put into it for only $4k...

The person I sold it to made $40k weeks later doing nothing to the property but listing it on the MLS.

All because he had more leverage.

He knew I was in a tight situation financially and took advantage of me.

He turned me into a motivated seller.

As painful as this lesson was, it made me make major operational changes.

As well as it forced me to have a mindset change too.

A much needed one!

I no longer work from a place of scarcity.

I set myself up for success and work from a place of abundance.

I have built my cash buyer list to close to 5,000 buyers, invested into a coaching program for private lending, and developed multiple exit strategies to be ready for any situation that presents itself.

It let's me earn $40k per deal consistently today and occasionally hit some $90k+ homeruns.

Embrace your mistakes, learn from them, and adapt.

This is the only way to grow.

 I was close to the cash buyer at the time, I had a previous deal fall through before this one so I really needed this one to go through.

1. 1. Growing My Cash Buyers List: Initially, I relied heavily on a small group of cash buyers, which limited my profits and left me with tougher deals to sell. By late 2018, I realized the need to expand my cash buyers list significantly. I grew my list to over 500 buyers, which drastically increased competition for my deals and nearly doubled my assignment fees. In 2019, I began leveraging the MLS to attract even more buyers, which further increased my margins and gave me more certainty in closing deals.

1. 2. Learning Private Lending: In April 2019, I took a class on private lending that changed the game for me. It allowed me to finance deals with greater flexibility, enabling me to start taking on deals myself rather than just wholesaling them. This shift boosted my profitability and growth significantly, with our first flip in 2018 leading to two more by 2019.

1. 3. Expanding Exit Strategies: To stay competitive and maximize profits, I diversified my exit strategies beyond traditional wholesaling. In 2020, I added wholetails, novations, and double closes to my toolkit, which allowed us to consistently achieve higher profits and scale our operations effectively. These strategies faced virtually no competition, enabling us to see deals where others didn’t and do more volume.

These were the 3 pivotal moves that transformed my wholesaling side hustle into a full-fledged business.

Experienced investors, what were your 3 pivotal moves?

Beginner investors, which of these strategies are you not currently focusing on, and how could implementing them change your investing journey?

It was a nightmare which only made me $4k.

After securing the deal, the buyer made my wife and I go through three-feet deep of snow to "winterize" the house so there wouldn't be any plumbing issues.

It was a 2 hour drive there, and a 2 hour drive back.

So much time and effort put into it for only $4k...

The person I sold it to made $40k weeks later doing nothing to the property but listing it on the MLS.

All because he had more leverage.

He knew I was in a tight situation financially and took advantage of me.

He turned me into a motivated seller.

As painful as this lesson was, it made me make major operational changes.

As well as it forced me to have a mindset change too.

A much needed one!

I no longer work from a place of scarcity.

I set myself up for success and work from a place of abundance.

I have built my cash buyer list to close to 5,000 buyers, invested into a coaching program for private lending, and developed multiple exit strategies to be ready for any situation that presents itself.

It let's me earn $40k per deal consistently today and occasionally hit some $90k+ homeruns.

Embrace your mistakes, learn from them, and adapt.

This is the only way to grow.

It was a nightmare which only made me $4k.

After securing the deal, the buyer made my wife and I go through three-feet deep of snow to "winterize" the house so there wouldn't be any plumbing issues.

It was a 2 hour drive there, and a 2 hour drive back.

So much time and effort put into it for only $4k...

The person I sold it to made $40k weeks later doing nothing to the property but listing it on the MLS.

All because he had more leverage.

He knew I was in a tight situation financially and took advantage of me.

He turned me into a motivated seller.

As painful as this lesson was, it made me make major operational changes.

As well as it forced me to have a mindset change too.

A much needed one!

I no longer work from a place of scarcity.

I set myself up for success and work from a place of abundance.

I have built my cash buyer list to close to 5,000 buyers, invested into a coaching program for private lending, and developed multiple exit strategies to be ready for any situation that presents itself.

It let's me earn $40k per deal consistently today and occasionally hit some $90k+ homeruns.

Embrace your mistakes, learn from them, and adapt.

This is the only way to grow. 

One of the worst conditions we've bought properties in recently.

The seller’s sister reached out to us, desperate for help. The owner had been living in these conditions for a long time due to mental health issues.

It was heartbreaking to see.

We agreed on a price and closed very quickly to provide relief. This ended up being a wholetail where we physically closed on the property ourselves and relisted it on the MLS after bringing up its market value. A bit of a more advanced exit strategy, but one that can be extremely profitable when implemented correctly.

We spent $18k to clean out the place and then we turned around and made $40k after cleaning costs, closing costs, and commissions. It took 2 weeks to list and another 2 weeks to close.

Pre-cleaning it was not in any condition to be sold to on the MLS and cash buyers would've wanted a heavy discount for the extremely bad condition of the property. Mostly because it was so thick with stuff that you really couldn't even walk through the property to make accurate project estimates. In our experience, buyers always add 2-3x the actual removal cost.

I love wholetailing because we get the speed of wholesaling and the margin of flipping by doing a little bit of both.

You just need to be able to get the liquidity to support the transaction, which we do through private lending.

We always use other people's money to make our own money.

So not all states are created equal. In all the states where we operate, we have been vetted by the real estate commission and our attorneys to make sure we follow their marketing rules and guidelines.

It's best to have everything vetted by a real estate attorney who can then ensure that the language used in your contract and MLS listing complies with local state laws. We don't typically market the contract itself as much as we market the property for a potential double close. We get the property under contract and immediately look to sell it to an end buyer upon closing.

Hey everyone, I often hear concerns from wholesalers about presenting the MLS wholesale exit strategy to sellers, especially when they think the seller could just hire a realtor and potentially make more money. It's a valid concern, and one that I've faced many times. Here's how I approach it:

1. - Acknowledge the Seller’s Perspective: First, I make sure to recognize that the seller might think they could net more by going directly through a realtor. This helps to build trust and shows that I'm transparent about the process.
2. - Highlight the Certainty and Convenience: I emphasize the certainty of closing with me versus the potential uncertainties of listing with a realtor. Sellers often value a quick, guaranteed close over the possibility of a higher, but less certain, payout. I reassure them that we can close on their timeline, typically within two weeks, which most realtors can’t guarantee.
3. - Simplified Process: Another key point is the convenience we offer. We allow the seller to leave anything behind they don’t want to deal with, and we minimize disruptions by arranging only one showing. This level of ease is something many sellers find appealing, especially if they’re in a situation where they need to move quickly or don’t want the hassle of traditional selling.
4. - Explain the Benefits of Our Strategy: Finally, I explain that by listing on the MLS as part of our exit strategy, we're simply maximizing the exposure of the property to potential buyers. Even though we're listing it, the offer we're presenting is still the best solution for their needs. It's not just about the highest offer—it's about the best offer considering their circumstances.

In the end, it’s not always about the money for the seller. It’s about the peace of mind, the convenience, and the certainty that we can provide. When you present it this way, most sellers understand the value we bring and are more than willing to work with us.

Hope this helps anyone struggling with how to position the MLS wholesale strategy to sellers!

Hello,

I’m looking for a cellular monitoring system for vacant properties to get alerts if temps drop below a certain temperature. I have some vacant properties in the northeast under various stages of rehab that can be vacant for extended periods of time and I want to prevent frozen pipes if the property is unattended for extended periods of times.

Any recommendations?