All Forum Posts by: Jeremy T.

Re: your second point. I actually think that having someone with knowledge of the area may be beneficial for out-of-town investors. 

For example, in our fair city, “Bakery Square” is located immediately adjacent to some of the worst parts of town. Someone who isn’t from here would think, “this is a fantastic deal in this Lincoln-Larimer neighborhood, just look how close it is to Bakery Square!” 

BotG can notify that investor that several kids were recently caught in the crossfire of rival gangs a few blocks from where the white people are gleefully spending their cash at chain retail establishments.

FYI, I think you misspelled "days" as "months".

This is a fun thread.

Small world @Amanda Sutherlin I spent a few years in Spring Hol....err Hill back around 2000 whilst matriculating to USF.  I lived with my girlfriend's (at the time) family in Pristine Place (between Spring Hill Dr & Elgin just east of the suncoast pkwy), worked for a while at the Winn Dixie on 19 just north of Spring Hill Dr (google earth tells me it is still there), and then at the Whistle Stop Station (::face turns red::) which, at that time, was owned by my gf's parents.

I always loved Hernando Beach and had an opportunity to buy empty lots out there in 1999 for 20k...still kicking myself for not jumping on that.

Congrats on the deal!

@Sean H. 

Check out this.

Your question and the above information certainly has my wheels spinning.

@Ryan Dossey 

It sounds like you are using a ‘throw a bunch of leads at the wall and see what sticks’ marketing approach. I assume you are strictly looking for properties to wholesale?

Dancing around with sellers who aren’t even motivated enough to give you a ballpark price sounds like an enormous waste of time and energy. 

My suggestion is to refine your strategy to filter out these people either via the response mechanism in your marketing or by being more transparent with what you plan to do/offer.  You will probably get a few (more) people telling you to go make love to yourself, but you also don’t have to sit on the phone all day trying to pry information out of a dead lead.

Also, hooking up with a realtor to whom you can refer retail-only leads to is not a bad option.

I agree with @Richard C. 

To become a licensed engineer, I had to graduate with a Bachelors degree in my field of study, pass the 8 hour fundamentals of engineering exam, find someone who was willing to hire me in a bad economy, practice as an "engineer-in-training" for 4 more years, only then can I sit to take another 8 hour exam for the chance to become a licensed engineer.

IMO raising the barrier to entry beyond 'heartbeat and ability to read' would be a good way to weed out the pretenders. Hence the reason why thermodynamics is placed squarely in the latter portion of the sophomore year engineering curriculum.

what were your expectations after 2 months and sending 100 handwritten letters?

How many times has a prospective seller seen your marketing?

What kind of sellers are you targeting?

Are you targeting?

If your answer to that last question is "no", then you are doing about what I would expect after 2 months and 100 letters.

@Daren H. has it right.  In order to grow any business, you need to separate what parts of your business make the business run and what parts of your business are going to make you more money.  

Structure/document the steps by which you accomplish the former and outsource them.  

That will free up time and energy to focus on the latter.

@Mark Ferguson 

Define "many"...is that 5%, 25%, 85%?

Your thinking is time  static. Technology is dynamic. Did I think I would be sitting here replying to a thread on an internet message board from a device that fits into the palm of my hand 10 years ago? 

No. No, I did not.

To suggest that technology cannot catch up with determining accurate property valuation is a bit naive I think.