All Forum Posts by: Shaun Caldwell

@Ariq Sharif, welcome to the site and to the REI industry! To your first question, yes, there are certain parameters that you should use when creating your list. Equity base, median price, etc. Send me a private message and I'll forward you a breakdown. To your second question, join your local real estate investors association (REIA).. There you can network with people who can help make deals i.e. wholesales and cash buyers. Second, put together a solid direct mail campaign (long term and consistent).

@Danny Woodson, don't get down on yourself; you're too early in. It takes time to build brand awareness in the minds of prospective sellers. That takes several touches. Think about what you're doing. Contacting a complete stranger telling them that you want to buy their house, fast, easy, etc. The average person doesn't receive mail like that every day unless you're a landlord. Having said that, you're campaign affirms to the prospective sellers that you're an option "IF/WHEN" they're ready to sell. Follow through. Evaluate your campaign every few months and make adjustments as needed.

@David Ziccardi, have you considered creative financing? Sub2, lease options, seller financing? If done correctly, they are far less cash intensive and offer a lot of flexibility which is ideal for someone with limited working capital.

@Account Closed, getting deals takes time. Your job is to be ready if/when the seller is motivated to get rid of their distressed property. That could be today, next month, a year from now, etc. Having said that, there are tons of marketing strategies that you can use some free and some paid... With free methods since the barrier of entry is low (a computer) any and everyone does them which makes things more difficult. Paid methods have less competition but again do require money. Here are my top tips... Networking with your REIA, direct mail, Facebook ads, PPC, etc.

@Denisse Salinas, welcome to BiggerPockets and to the REI industry. As a wholesaler my best advice would be to commit to a solid marketing plan. It's the lifeline of your business as you're job is to constantly find deals for flippers and buy and hold types. Poor deal flow=no deals=no business....

@Carlos Diaz I am 27 years old and got into the business officially in January of this year. In terms of goals, my primary one is income related; 10k a month in passive income. Second to that leave a legacy for my family to follow. I am a buy and hold type that will wholesale if/when a deal come my way. I acquire properties via sub2, lease option, or owner finance. There are few 20 something investors that I know of in my marketplace (Charlotte) but those that do are quite successful and are willing to help. Everyday I work to get better in particular with sales and negotiating. My first few meetings with sellers went horribly wrong in that I didn't close; however, they provided me with a good education in how and what to say to sellers to close deals. Since then I have closed two deals (buy and holds) and am working on a third now (duplex). Moving forward my short term goal is to acquire one to two deals per month.

@Jeff Croft, there is no set time frame. You're job is to be there if/and when the prospect is ready to sell. That could be on the first mailing or the twelfth. You'll never know if you stop too soon. Having said that, you should review your marketing campaigns every 3-6 months i.e. review lists, marketing message, etc. to help determine what area(s) can use improvement to yield a higher ROI.

See you all there!

@Edward Mitchell, I don't have much to add to Curt's points. @Curt Davis, I do quite a bit of driving for dollars and am always looking to improve my results. I signed up to receive your eBook on driving for dollars but was curious to know how you approach FSBOs. Do you call them, send them a direct mail piece, a combination?

BPers, I live and invest in the Concord, NC area. I am looking to network with cash buyers and wholesalers in the area. Happy investing!