Hello All,
First I wanted to thank Dean Graziosi for putting together this wonderful website which has a wealth of Real Estate information. I ordered the "Think A Little Different" package. It is a very informative package.
However, I didn't see much information for someone who wants to start as a "Property Finder". I think that maybe that information is included with more detail in "Profit form Real Estate Right Now" and/or "Your Town, Your Real Estate Profits" book.
I believe a Property Finder is someone who finds an investment property for an investor for a fee, or somewhat similar. This is the type of position I'm interested in to begin with because I don't have money to invest and my credit is not good due to the economy.
I would appreciate if someone could direct me in where I can find more information about this.
Thanks,
Christian
Christian B. O'Laarte
B.S., Business - CLU - 2005
Christian,
I too ordered the Think A Little Different course first which sparked my motivation. And you are right, more information about this subject comes with his newer books, Profit From Real Estate Right Now in particular.
The main thing you will want for this is a buyers list. I have posted the steps for getting started on another thread.
My partner and I are currently about to finish up our first deal and have another one in the works! We only have 12 buyers on our list, which isn't a lot by any means, but it shows how easy this is to get started! We started in mid August and are already spreading into a different area to invest in.
The easiest way to get started that I've found is to find a friend that has the same dreams as you do and work together on this. My partner (aka investorinmissouri) was a good friend before we became business partners and its been an amazing journey so far. If you can't find a friend with the same goals maybe some other DG website attendees are interested. And if THAT doesn't go through its very possible to do on your own (and more profitable ) you just need confidence.
A very simplified action step list would be:
There are many posts on these forums about finding Realtors like tac's above, and its even in Profit from Real Estate Right Now! but I can try to sum it up for you:
MAKE SURE YOUR REALTOR IS HUNGRY! After talking to a few Realtors you will see that some of them will try to crush your dreams, and some of them are just lazy not willing to do extra work... But very few of them are pure gold.
Remax and Keller Williams are more trained to work with investors so I would try all of those brokers first. Call the main line and there should be a secretary answering the phones, ask them to put you through to the one that works best with investors. Here are a list of questions you can ask the Realtor:
If all checks out then so far so good, they are qualified! Now you have to make sure they are going to do the work you want them to do. Tell them that you have a cash buyers list (this will answer their question to if you have proof of funds, there are also always other options for proof of funds). Then tell them you plan to close on X amount of properties per month with a ratio of 25 offers to 1 accepted. If they are comfortable with this you can go ahead and give them your criteria.
I suggest doing this to multiple "qualified" Realtors, that way you can narrow it down even further to which ones respond faster, follow up more often, and things like that.
I could have probably written 20 times more about the steps to getting started but I figured this was enough for now. Like Townie says on The Waterboy "YOU CAN DO IT!". I am still learning a TON and have only barely completed one deal, but if there's one thing I've learned, the best way to get started is to just GO FOR IT!
At first I was extremely overwhelmed, but I started to just take one piece at a time, and before I knew it my partner and I were locking up our first contract. So don't overwhelm yourself. Write down ideas as they come to you and take one piece at a time, and before you know it you'll have $10,000 in your pocket. How would you like that?
Have confidence and you'll go far!
Best of wishes,
Dominic
The area you are interested in is commonly called wholesaling, and bird dogging is another term less commonly used.
There IS a difference though from my understanding.
Wholesaling - You find the buyers and sellers, and make a fee of your price in the middle. Constructed by you.
Bird dogging - You find a buyer, they will offer you a percentage to find them a home.
So wholesaling you are working for yourself, and bird dogging you are working for someone else. Hope that makes sense
Dominic
Are you new? Check out my NEW and IMPROVED Guide for Beginners! http://deangraziosi.com/real-estate-forums/everything-else/128413/domini...
Dominic,
Thank you so very much for taking the time to reply and for explaining. I'm also very excited about learning and working in REI. Yes, it's very overwhelming since there is a ton of information to absorb. As they say, Rome wasn't built in one day, so I'll have to take baby steps to get things going.
REI is really a "social science", because there are many, many methods to reach the desired outcome. I wish the REI subject was included in my BS Degree in Business. I definitely want to obtain a RE license for my credentials in the future.
Thanks again and take care!
Christian
Christian B. O'Laarte
B.S., Business - CLU - 2005
Hey Christian, check out www.reiclub.com then to the left you will see tons of information, look where it says Birdogging.This site has alot of good information.
I hope this helped you. Good Luck
Curtis Fillers
(Charlotte,NC)
You can start by getting "bird dog" fees from other investors when you find deals for them. You advertise that you 'buy houses for cash', and when you hear back from a motivated seller, you pass on the information to the investor who follows up on your lead, and pays you a fee.
Dean's book 'Profit from Real Estate Right Now' has great information...
Wishing you great success,
Valerie
Valerie
“And will you succeed? Yes indeed, yes indeed! Ninety-eight and three-quarters percent guaranteed!” ― Dr. Seuss
"I believe in angels, the kind that heaven sends; I am surrounded by angels, but I call them friends" - Unknown
My journal: http://www.deangraziosi.com/real-estate-forums/investing-journals/59110/...
What a great post - thanks for the ideas! I have to keep looking for buyers/sellers and then success will find me!
Stuart
You have been extremely helpful. Thanks so much! That is all it takes is someone like yourself that is kind enough and will take the time to express a little of the basics as you have in your post.
Anyone interested in making contact to work on deals please PM me and let me know. I is not only "what you know" but also "who you know." Sometimes "who you know" is more important.
Keep up the motivation Stuart. You are in there and pitching... that is what counts...
I hope this helped you. Good Luck
Curtis Fillers
(Charlotte,NC)
Thanks for the link... Very helpful
You guys are a whole lot of help. Please keep up the good work. this is a great post.May good bless you.
alesia hightower
here a tool I hope all of you can use http://searchtempest.com/ it works with Craig's list to look things even reverse look up.It might help you find what you are looking for.
as you believe so be it unto you
I hope these help every body, http://www.Naco.org , this is the National association of counties web site were you can get information about any county take a look at it and see what you think. Find Me A Human , Need to take a look at the market around a property you're considering buying, to get value? Go to www.Realtor.com . Enter the zip code where the property is located, look at the lowest-priced houses or land, depending on the type of property you're looking at. If there are many, many houses located in that zip code for under $15,000, you need to be very careful before buying.
2. That's a good first step. Now, head over to www.zillow.com and type in the property address. DO NOT go by what the Zillow values are - they are usually MUCH too high. Instead, when the subject property is located, click on the link showing "Similar Sales". Zillow should automatically pull the right property type to show similar sales. Look at the distances, and make sure the properties shown as sold are well within a mile of the subject property, and similar in square footage.
happy investing
3. Looking for a pretty good free calendar of all the tax sales that have occured in your area in the last few years, or are about to occur now? Be sure to get a free account at www.taxsalelists.com , then login and go to the Resources->Tax Sales area. A map of the United States will appear and you can click on any state to see tax sales that occured in the past going back several years, or tax sales that are about to occur. You can also buy lists there but they often don't have owner addresses.
4. Want a quick summary of how a state's tax sale works, and find out the code section that governs the tax sale so you can read about it? Visit www.professorprofits.com and click on the "states" link at the top. A map will appear, and you can read about the tax sale there and figure out how to.
5. Need a notary to visit an owner to sign a purchase agreement or deed? Go to www.123notary.com and you'll usually find a notary who lives right by the owner who will go to them and take your paperwork to be signed - you can even email it to the notary for a same-day signing. Charges are usually only about $50-$75.
VPike.com takes Google Maps, , and puts them in an even easier to use format. They give you your own little Virtual Man!
You can move him up the block, down the street and around the corner to get satellite views of your potential investing areas and properties.
as you believe so be it unto you
Thank you sooo very much everyone for taking the time to give us ideas, suggestions, and guidance. I really appreciate. I guess I'll start as a "RE Bird Dog"...lol. I'll definitely purchase more Dean's books. I'll be a very busy person, but I'm not afraid of hard work!
I've also noticed plenty of job postings for "Property Finders" near my area, or other related RE jobs working for investors. I'll look into that as well! Wish me luck!
Take care,
Christian
Christian B. O'Laarte
B.S., Business - CLU - 2005
Question on the "Bird Dog" fee. Do we collect a fee just for the lead or if the buyer actually purchases the property?
Know what truely matters in life, consume yourself with that, and you shall never be disappointed, afraid, or alone. Give your gratitude always, give respect to everyone, and you shall never be anything less than what matters the most. Give praise to the Lord, forgive yourself and others, and with all of this together you will get a taste of what heavens lie ahead.
Good question! It all depends on how generous your end buyer is. But its usually only when they make a deal out of it.
I would suggest looking more into wholesaling rather than bird dogging. With wholesaling you name the price and have more opportunities, you have more control. With bird dogging you are working for one person making a set percentage. Either way will get your foot in the door though! Good luck everyone!!
Dominic
Are you new? Check out my NEW and IMPROVED Guide for Beginners! http://deangraziosi.com/real-estate-forums/everything-else/128413/domini...
birdogging may help you get past your initial fear of investing- you could meet other investors this way and learn from them as well. You can learn what type of properties to look for. It could help boost your confidence that you can do it too!
Wishing everyone great success!
Valerie
Valerie
“And will you succeed? Yes indeed, yes indeed! Ninety-eight and three-quarters percent guaranteed!” ― Dr. Seuss
"I believe in angels, the kind that heaven sends; I am surrounded by angels, but I call them friends" - Unknown
My journal: http://www.deangraziosi.com/real-estate-forums/investing-journals/59110/...
Why pay someone for a lead that doesn't go anywhere???
Take your time and don't rush in anything you do; it often leads to mistakes and loss of time and income on your part
On your own
Not realtors and not CL
I speak from personal and secondary experience that finding a property or properties on your own as opposed to the above is the best way to get aclimated and adjusted to the world of RE. I've tried to work with newbies several times but for one reason or another, they seem to think that I am supposed to do all the work, research, drive them around and then tell them what to offer and in some cases, help find them a buyer. This is the farthest from the truth. In reality, what I have done is provided them with a house, and tell them they have 30 days to get me a contract. It is up to them to do these things and provide the end buyer
CL is harder to find a true FSBO because most ads that say 'By Owner' are actually sold by a realtor(we do that to save money), and you may face the same issues as before.
Learn and find properties on your own by canvassing areas(the best way), networking, word of mouth, and research. Might seem like its longer and tedious but its the best way, because what will you do if no agents want to work with you???
Best of luck
Thank you all for your advice and reference sites. You are appreciated!
Have a Berry Good day with success in abundance to us all!
Hey Dominic I agree I have found some properties now I am lost. How do I work with the banks on foreclosures when I don't have the cash. Stuck and need heklp
Hi dominic,
I have a couple of realtors and I have found properties now I am at the stage of how to write a deal with the bank on the foreclosures.
Hi dominic,
I have a couple of realtors and I have found properties now I am at the stage of how to write a deal with the bank on the foreclosures.
You people are really great and kind and willing to share and help other people. Thank you so much for your information and precious time. GOd bless you all
We live in southern California and we just found out that a property two doors down from us will be going through a foreclosure ausction in 2 weeks. It will need a lot of work. Is it avialable to still purchase the property from the owner (or bank) within this time frame (before the auction takes place)or is it too late to do so?
If it is available, what's the best way to go about it?
Thanks for your help.
Steve
I have a couple of realtors and I have found properties now I am at the stage of how to write a deal with the bank on the foreclosures.
I can't give you legal advice, but if you have a Realtor, they should know how to write one up. Or they should at least know a good real estate attorney for you to use for contracts.
Dominic
Are you new? Check out my NEW and IMPROVED Guide for Beginners! http://deangraziosi.com/real-estate-forums/everything-else/128413/domini...
I understand you can't give legal advice I'm curious how to tie up a foreclose with the bank without your own money or own credit.
If its bank owned you do it with transactional funding but you will need to have your end buyer already in place because they will want their info. You pay the fee when you close.
When you say thank you, you are telling the world that you want more. Say thank you every day! It will bring joy, and it will bring so much more.
www.virtue-investments.com