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All Forum Posts by: Ken M.

Ken M. has started 152 posts and replied 1773 times.

Post: Helping a Homeowner Avoid Foreclosure—What I Learned Along the Way

Ken M.#1 Buying & Selling Real Estate ContributorPosted
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Quote from @Jay Hinrichs:

One important item if these are owner occuppied situations.. FEDERAL LAW requires the Bank or holder of the note to arrange a meeting with the homeowner and a decision maker in person to work on a work out plan this is Law. Everyone is entitled to this meeting.. this is one reason there are not as many homes going to sale the loans get worked out in any number of methods.

Now you still have owners that just have their head in the sand and wont go to the meeting and or if they do they dont bring the docs that are required..

But bottom line is this service is available by federal law.

And not to mention the states where it's a criminal act to solicit people in foreclosure. 

Even wholesaling has a whole new set of rules in some states.

Post: Which CRM do you Swear by?

Ken M.#1 Buying & Selling Real Estate ContributorPosted
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Quote from @Devin James:

We’re currently building out our CRM

Real estate is a relationship business and follow-up is everything.

Your memory isn't built for scale.

That’s where a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system comes in:
1) Tracks every interaction
2) Keeps follow-ups from falling through the cracks
3) Automates reminders, emails, and tasks
4) Helps your entire team stay on the same page

We’ve been building out pipelines in HubSpot for:

- Investor leads

- Land acquisitions

- Homebuyer journeys

It will help us stay more consistent, clear, and scalable.

Our future self will thank us.

What CRM are you using?

Does the user own the data?
When a CRM goes down, gets hacked or goes out of business do you have a workable copy of the data that you can pick up with within an hour and carry on?
I don't have the answer to that question on CRMs so I'm only guessing you lose all of your work if you lose the CRM.

I personally use a database that doesn't need the internet, I back up all of my data, I can load the backup on a new laptop if need be and have my years of data.

Post: What are the worst practices of guru’s?

Ken M.#1 Buying & Selling Real Estate ContributorPosted
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Quote from @James McGovern:

Why does it seem as if every guru teaches new flippers to do swing a hammer and demo kitchen cabinets when there is often much more to do?

none of the gurus teach how to inspect a property and what to lookout for?


is the formula always to get a half decent looking female and ask her to choose countertops and tile?

why do they suggest that a flip can be done in ten days?

One of the guys from Triple Dip Flip, the A&E show, in a recent video says they lost over $500,000 with the properties the were working with. He said A&E wouldn't want you to know that. 

Post: How & Where Can I Learn Real Estate Strategies Without Paying a Guru $1,000+

Ken M.#1 Buying & Selling Real Estate ContributorPosted
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Quote from @Austin Hunter:

Hey BP fam,

I’m a new investor just getting started, and I’m trying to learn about all the different strategies out there — especially creative financing methods like seller financing, subject-to, lease options, etc.

The problem is, every time I try to look something up on YouTube, it seems like it’s always from a guru who’s just trying to funnel you into a $1,000+ course. I don’t mind investing a little in my education, but I’m cautious about dropping that kind of money when I don’t know what I’m actually getting — especially with so many upsells and mixed reviews.

I read posts here on BP all the time, and I constantly see people saying that you don’t need to pay a guru — that all the information they’re selling is already out there for free, if you just know where to look. That sounds great… but I’m still not sure where to actually find that info and learn it in a way that’s structured and beginner-friendly.

So my question is: Where can I truly learn creative real estate strategies without spending a fortune?

Books, YouTube channels that are actually educational, podcasts, blogs, courses under $100 — I’m open to any solid, no-BS resources that can help me build a real foundation.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give. I really appreciate how helpful this community is and I’m excited to get going the right way.

$1,000 is cheap, if you get what you need. I'm 15 times that. It's free on youtube. Can you get what you want for free on youtube? Yes, you can. Can you sort out the shell from the peanut? That's up to you. Will someone on youtube keep you from making a serious mistake? 
How could they? They don't know you exist.

I recommend joining a REIA (NationalREIA.org) for $20 a month and learning everything you can. Meeting everyone you can. Find someone there you can be friends with. Buy them lunch and pick their brain.

Post: Hard Money Lending on Primary Residence

Ken M.#1 Buying & Selling Real Estate ContributorPosted
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Quote from @Jeff S.:
Quote from @Joshua Talamante:
Thank you for your reply, @Jeff S. This is a new take on the matter. I hadn't heard it from this prospective. But let me clarify; are you saying that if I lend on a primary residence, for a non-personal reason, then this loan would not be subject to TILA, RESPA, etc, along with being exempt from usury laws?

No, that’s not what I wrote. I did not use the words, “non-personal reason,” which could be anything. “Personal, family, or household purposes” is the literal definition in Dodd-Frank (and used by most other states).

Unfortunately, Dodd-Frank says there is no precise test for what constitutes a personal, family, or household purpose, so you’d be wise to take the road of conservatism. I suspect this is why most P/HMLs will not lend on an owner-occupied property, even though they could. That, or they don’t understand the law either, which is as likely.

Sidestepping the rules of consumer-purpose loan origination by labeling it a business-purpose loan has lately become one of the most common lawsuits in lending. This is not an area to mess with.

Nor did I address usury or licensing. These are defined by your state. In CA, for example, interest on any loan exceeding 10% APR is considered usurious. The good news is that the state provides dozens of exemptions. For example, real estate loans originated by a licensed CA DRE Real Estate Broker or DFPI CFL are exempt from usury and have no limit on the interest rate. Your state might have exemptions as well.

I’ll add that, since the max interest rate seems important to you—and usury aside—you do not set your maximum interest rate. The market does.

My strong suggestion, Joshua, is to spend an hour with a knowledgeable lending attorney in your state and go over licensing, usury, business-purpose versus consumer-purpose lending, and private money loan origination in general. Lending attorneys are not the same as real estate attorneys, so choose wisely. Perhaps ask a local, friendly P/HML who they use.

@Jeff S.: Is correct. And omits a lot of other things that are too numerous for a short reply.

However, @Joshua Talamanteto misunderstand a fairly simple explanation indicates trouble ahead for you if you don't seek help from local lending professionals on an on-going basis. Some loans go bad. So, at the very least you have legal ways to market, loan origination, underwriting, title, deeds, appraisals, servicing, collecting, book keeping, taxes, insurance, lates, notices, foreclosures, possibly bankruptcies, to name a few. You have Federal laws and state laws and "laws of profit and loss".  And those laws have to be followed. You are responsible for those actions for years and years. The phrase "I didn't know" is invalid in court.

Post: What if “Distress” Isn’t the Opportunity—But the Signal?

Ken M.#1 Buying & Selling Real Estate ContributorPosted
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Quote from @Stasiu Geleszinski:
Quote from @Chris Seveney:
Quote from @Stasiu Geleszinski:

Everyone’s chasing distressed deals right now—loan maturities, capital calls, refi gaps. But here’s something I’ve been chewing on:

What if distress isn’t the opportunity itself—but simply the signal that outdated strategies are cracking?

I’ve been underwriting properties where the distress isn't due to bad operators—it’s due to capital stacks built for a 3% world. The opportunity isn’t the asset. It’s the misalignment—between institutional assumptions and current reality.

That gap is where creative buyers thrive:

  • Flexible timelines

  • Different capital expectations

  • Local knowledge

  • Renovation chops

  • Lower cost basis or long-term hold horizons

What I’m wondering is: Are we looking hard enough at the why behind a distressed deal? Or are we just hoping for a bargain?

Sometimes, distress = mismanagement.

But often, it’s just a good asset priced with the wrong spreadsheet 3 years ago.

Curious how others here are navigating that line. What are you seeing in your markets? Are sellers coming around yet? Or are we still early?


 We still are seeing delusional property owners. We invest in non performing notes and I would say 90% of those that are not owner occupied the owners think the property is worth 50% more than it truly is and have been sitting on the market for over a year. We have one where borrower thinks its worth $1.4M and its really worth about 850k. they are waiting for rates to come down meanwhile they are not paying on the loan and its $10k a month interest payment on the loan. They are adament rates will come back down into the 4's and their valuation will balloon... You see this more from those who got in the game the last five years, as they lack experience and are just very far from reality. 

Appreciate you jumping in, Chris—completely agree on the owner psychology front.

What’s wild is how many owners are burning carry while waiting for the “rate reset” that may never come. That $10K/month interest drag you mentioned is exactly the kind of quiet distress I think we’ll see more of—where the pain is real but the denial is louder.

And you’re right—it’s often folks who entered in the last cycle, underwrote tight, and assumed tailwinds would last forever. Now they’re stuck between a bloated valuation and the hard math of today’s rates.

What’s your move when someone’s that far out of touch? You ever find success getting them to reality—or is it more about waiting until the asset forces the issue?

As a long time successful "creative finance" buyer of distressed properties . . . I don't try to convince people it's time to sell. I move on.

There are too many opportunities and if you convince someone against their will , it  backfires down the road. They have to be the one to have the idea, the need, the want to sell, even if they are "losing " in their mind, more than 30% of value or even less.

As the old saying goes

"A man convinced against his will
is of the same opinion still"

If a seller is convinced they have been cheated, scammed, ripped off or otherwise suffered undo harm, they attract attorneys. Judges in court believe them, before they believe the "greedy investor". 

"He tricked me into selling. He didn't tell me . . ."

There is little chance of convincing someone to sell, who thinks their property is worth more than it really is. There is even less chance of winning a lawsuit against someone you bought from, who thinks their property is worth more than it really is and they feel defrauded. 

Yes, people lie in court all the time. A Federal Judge told me that.  ;-0 

But the sympathy and jury always favor the property seller.

And in a creative finance deal like Subject To, a seller only needs to tell the lender that they no longer own the property and want to be taken off the loan and that opens a can of worms.

Post: My friend is forclosing on a house

Ken M.#1 Buying & Selling Real Estate ContributorPosted
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Quote from @Sabrina Morgan:
Quote from @Ken M.:
Quote from @Sabrina Morgan:

My friend is going through a divorce and their house is about to be foreclosed on.  They aren't speaking and he's still in the house.  She's asking me to buy the house to save their credit and is asking me to talk with her husband to see if he'll sell to me.  However I don't have a down payment for a loan but I do have good credit.  Also I'm not sure if I would buy and immediately sell or flip.  Its a 2800 square foot house that needs some pool work and dry rot but most likely nothing over $20k.  Although it could use some rehab in my opinion.  The house appraised for $850k but I'm assuming in this market would go for $750k or maybe even $700k due to the repairs that need to be done.  The loan amount is $380k and the property taxes due are $20k.  So with closing cost/lender fees and all, I'm assuming about another $30k?  So a total of around $400k? Unfortunately its suppose to go to the courthouse steps in a couple of weeks and I'm sure there will be a bidding war at that point.  If I were to hold it to resell or even try to rehab and sell, houses are sitting on the market for over 100 days and the holding costs would probably be $4k per month.  I need opinions and possibly an investment partner.

A balloon payment is a terrible thing, always. Until you can accurately tell me the future.

If there has been a Notice of Foreclosure filed, their credit is already trash.
The credit bureaus pick it up from the county records. There is no credit to save.
And at the very least, they would have multiple lates on their mortgage on their credit reports.
Both parties would have to agree to the sale and the terms since both are on title.
Creative finance does not work with a balloon payment unless the lender agrees. Which is extremely rare.  They normally just want to be paid off.

It's likely there are also missed payments, late fees and legal fees that will be added to the payoff. You get the total amount to pay off directly from the lender or the foreclosing attorney. Guessing is a poor way to approach a payoff.

There may be other liens on the property. Those will have to be paid too.
Putting a property on the MLS does not stop a foreclosure sale.
The lender can, or for cause, the attorney can postpone or cancel a sale.
Filing a bankruptcy can sometimes stop a foreclosure. Talk to a bankruptcy attorney.

You will likely need 3.5% down on an FHA loan if you plan on living in the house.
Normal amount is 20% down if not living in the house.
The value of the property will be determined by appraisal, not by looking at what has sold around you.

If it's a "good deal" a wholesaler may pay cash for the property to keep it from going to sale.
There are a lot of variables when buying foreclosures, and usually a lot of surprises.
Have reserves ready to spend.


If we can get the husband to agree to sell, the foreclosure company said we may have some options to extend if we need to.  But I believe I've found a partner and private lender to purchase.  There was an appraisal done about 8 months ago, its not a guess; it appraised at $850k.  It obviously won't happen if there are liens etc. that keep the deal from making sense.  I don't do risky, I have to know what I'm getting into.

Your comment "an appraisal done about 8 months ago"
No lender will accept an appraisal that old. 

I think you should pursue it to it's logical end, since you never know where these things end up, but just be aware, the market has changed.


Post: Flipping houses you do not o

Ken M.#1 Buying & Selling Real Estate ContributorPosted
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Quote from @Theresa Harris:
Quote from @Ken M.:
Quote from @Theresa Harris:

There are a two realtors in the Seattle area who do this-they had a HGTV show.  Basically they take a house that isn't selling-pay for the renos, then split the profit.  The owner gets their original list price, realtors get their reno money back, anything else is split 50:50.

Never rely on a TV show for guidance in real estate. It is Staged.

 Generally I'd agree and I'm sure they only show the successful ones, but the idea is still good.

One of the guys from Triple Dip Flip, last night on Youtube said they lost $500,000 doing the flips but A & E didn't want the public to know. But it was a disaster according to him.

Post: Private money and foreclosure

Ken M.#1 Buying & Selling Real Estate ContributorPosted
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Quote from @Kim Swidarski:

Hi. Completely new. Never done before. I have a house that’s been vacant for  about a year. Owner died. Bank took possession of it. Most likely going into foreclosure. What I’m wondering is can I get a private money lender and go to an auction and bid on a foreclosed house? Or if it doesn’t go to auction but is a foreclosure can I get a private money lender for purchase? 

Most private money lenders want you to put in 20% to 30% of the purchase amount, plus fees and payments.

Post: Flipping houses you do not o

Ken M.#1 Buying & Selling Real Estate ContributorPosted
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Quote from @Theresa Harris:

There are a two realtors in the Seattle area who do this-they had a HGTV show.  Basically they take a house that isn't selling-pay for the renos, then split the profit.  The owner gets their original list price, realtors get their reno money back, anything else is split 50:50.

Never rely on a TV show for guidance in real estate. It is Staged.