All Forum Posts by: Steven J.

@Darwin Crawford Glad you appreciate the feedback. And yes, I think I can predict how well calculated you would be on the phone and I'll let you know part of the reason I'm not a fan of your approach is my personality. I definitely do respect the approach you work because it works for you and not for me.

I'll also wish you not to pull away your views and frustrations with the unprofessional elements. I appreciate getting the uncomfortable and conflicting views from others because it pushes me harder so I do thank you. But expect me to come back with my views. I look forward to following more of your posts.

If the duplex is an LLC, even if its yours, can't you set up a rental agreement with the LLC and you personally as a tenant to that LLC? Can't the LLC then make repairs for the investment? Or, since its flow through entity, does it not count that way?

This initial reminds me of Vincent Polisi. An aggressive sales man with foul language that says the same things the gurus do with a different flavor of flair. I didn't fall for it, mainly because I didn't like his personal approach, and quickly saw that he had nothing new to offer that the gurus didn't, the BP community didnt, and the @Jay Hinrichs and like didn't already inform me of. Unfortunately, many people, especially those who took a course and felt 'burned' are the prime suckers for this type of tactic. 

Some hard truths in the thread here but I have to agree. If you're going to assume that the work they are doing isn't difficult then you might as well assume using them only once because you'll never appreciate their work at any level because you believe you can always get it done for a better price or something. You're likely right that you can get it done for a better price by yourself but that means you can't spend that time doing other work and finding the next deal. 

As for actually dealing with contractors I go over my scope of work courtesy of J. Scotts forms in his books for the most part. This shows them that i'm serious, i've thought it over and I know what I'm expecting. Secondly, I have them pick the finish by date with the clear understanding delays will cost them x amount over time. This puts their own ego on the line because they are picking the price (that's normal), they are picking the finish by date (their ego), and they are agreeing to the penalty for delays (their pride and wallet).

@Dmitriy Fomichenko Thanks for the heads up on this one! I'll look into that more. 

Yes, Google voice is a great way to start. Its been my favorite service so far but you'll only get one number per phone number so really you are limited in how many numbers you can have.

I think of it as two directions you can go - 

1.) Go it alone wholesaling from scratch learning as you go. You probably won't make money very quickly and you'll spend of lot of time and waste lots of money figuring out what is and isn't working in your market. If you've got lots of time and are confident in sticking to a plan then this is maybe right for you; most its not. I've spent countless hours making spreadsheets and forms to 'track' information that are now lost in folders elsewhere and never actually pushed anything forward.

2.) Find a local investor to team up with whether it as an office assistant, a quasi property manager who helps find tenants and checks them in, or a flipper. Don't expect to get paid in this scenario and expect to work awhile with them to prove your worth BUT you are actually doing tasks specifically related to the real estate deals with this investor. I think you'd likely learn more with the right local investor because you're practicing what they have already found to work. 

If you're looking small you can do it manually... its slow but brings up good leads

I've found that in rural markets many of the parks don't have great advertising. Not even an up to date park name or contact info. I'll focus on an area and google maps satellite view going area by area looking for the tell tale sign of the smaller single wide shaped homes in a row or column. Sometimes I find an entire park that is up to 70 units, most of the time its parks that are around 20-30 units and sometimes I'm finding the parks that are 6 - 12 units or so. Those aren't so promising but its good to reach out.

Once you've got an area you can use the GIS website of your local county to figure out who is paying the taxes. That's the person you want to speak to. Send out mailers, make phones calls, etc.

I love doing resumes and cover letters! I basically look at it is a having 2 pages to talk about myself and provide the most valuable information. 

Bio, in your case, should describe the skills you've got along with some of the examples you've dealt with. To say that you can manage 12 units is one thing - to mention that you've turned over x units in x amount of time is another. What types of education have you had pertaining to real estate? Perhaps you can discuss, as an example, a complex financing deal you profited from.

Welcome to the group! With your experience and ability to open a brokerage it sounds like you've got some great experiences to share and will be able to move forward! 

Email them? have you done that?

I suggest to those who are unsure about how to have conversations that they should call out of market professionals. Screw up on the phone your conversation with someone you know you wouldn't end up working with because its not the right market. Ask the wrong questions. Feel dumb. And, most importantly, learn the language and how a conversation tends to go. Once you're a little more comfortable reach out to the local asset managers to have a conversation you can keep up on.