The document discusses two techniques for real estate investing with no money down - flipping properties for short term profits and purchasing rental properties to generate monthly income.
Technique 1 involves flipping properties quickly for profit by finding motivated sellers. Technique 2 involves purchasing rental properties with no money down using seller financing or subject-to deals and generating monthly rental income.
The steps involved in purchasing a property using an option to purchase include conducting inspections, making an offer, signing contracts including an option to purchase agreement, and then either closing on the property or letting the option expire.
***NEW UPDATED VERSION INTERNET SAVVY***
Step-By-Step Instructions Show You...
$0 Down Real Estate Investing With No Credit! No Money! No Job! No Experience!
You now possess the first comprehensive investment plan ever written that will show you the secrets of purchasing real estate for immediate cash flow AND excellent long term profits! You will learn how to do this without a down payment or the need to borrow money from a bank!
By Joe Crump
Crump Publishing, Inc. 2113 E 62 nd St, Ste 202 Indianapolis IN 46220-2311 Revised 2010
Copyright 2000-2010 Crump Publishing, Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Table Of Contents (Click on the blue links to go to the chapter indicated)
Introduction
Vital Information That Tells You Why This System Works Like A Cash Machine!
The two techniques revealed in Section 1 and Section 2 are, in my opinion, the perfect diversifications of techniques for the investor starting out with no capital and/or bad credit.
First, you will learn how to create chunks of capital with short-term "flip" deals.
Second, you will discover how to replace your current monthly income and create a long-term investment strategy by purchasing and holding real estate rental property.
Read the entire book before setting out on this journey to real estate wealth.
Some of the issues I cover in one section are not repeated in another to avoid redundancy. But all of the ideas and techniques are part and parcel of the whole.
Once you understand the basics I've outlined, you will be ahead of 99.9% of all the other wanna-be real estate investors.
There is no substitute for knowledge! Read this book from cover to cover and then TAKE ACTION!
Section One
Chapter 1 Technique #1 - Immediate Cash Flow... Make Thousands Of Dollars In A Few Short Weeks With This Technique.
Sound too good to be true? Read on for the details....
This chapter teaches you how to obtain the rights to sell properties without actually paying for them.
You will sell this real estate for a profit and walk away from closing with cash in your pocket!
You can use this technique over and over again, never spending OR risking a dime of your own money!
Chapter 2 Finding The Properties - Where Do You Find Profitable Deals? Profile The Perfect Property
Chapter 3 Inspections - How To Keep From Losing Your Shirt
Chapter 4 Making The Offer (Step-by-step dialogue) Questions To Ask, Answers To Give
Chapter 5 The Contracts - You Can Print And Use Them
Chapter 6 Finding Investors To Buy Your Properties
How To Find A Few Investors Who Will Buy From You Over And Over Again!
This is so easy you'll laugh with delight when the phone calls start coming in!
Chapter 7 Systematize Your Business So You Can Repeat This Process Every Single Day... Effortlessly!
Section 2
Chapter 8 Technique #2 - Monthly Income... Replace Your Income With Rental Property And Quit Your Job!
Learn how to purchase homes with zero down payment and no credit check.
Then, rent or lease-option them to make a healthy monthly income that will continue to grow until you die!
Chapter 9 Finding Sellers Who Will Let You Buy Their Home With Zero Down Payment And No Credit Check.
Purchasing homes subject to the existing mortgage. Learn how to do this so you are protected and to maximize your profits.
Chapter 10 Inspection Tips
Many of these homes will be less than 5 years old, so inspections become less of an issue.
Chapter 11 Making The Offer (Step-by-step dialogue)
Questions to ask Answers to give Smart ways to get the best price possible!
Chapter 12 The Contracts - You Can Print And Use Them
Chapter 13 Selling The Homes You Purchase To New Buyers Using The Lease Option Technique!
Learn how to get 5-10% more for the homes you sell, along with higher-than-market rent!
Also, learn how to get non-refundable lease option money from your tenants rather than a security deposit you have to give back to them at the end of their lease.
Lease option money can pay for your vacancies once you know how to structure your contracts!
Chapter 14 Find Qualified Renters FAST!
Special techniques used by top management companies to obtain renters who have better credit and better jobs than you! These are the people you want renting your homes.
How to get top rental income for your properties.
Chapter 15 Financing The Sale Of Your Properties For An Investor Or A New Buyer
This is the most important chapter in the book. If you understand financing, you will succeed as a real estate investor.
Structuring your deals so they are attractive to the Buyer is the easiest way to sell your properties fast and for top dollar.
Chapter 16 Putting It All Together - A Step-by-Step Guide To Success.
This chapter helps you understand what to do first, what to do second, what to do third... and so on.
You will discover the simple steps to follow for true success in this business.
Most "business opportunity" type books are so unclear on how to actually proceed that no one is able to follow through. This chapter changes all of that.
***** UPDATED SECTION *****
Chapter 17 Using The Internet To Get Highly Motivated Sellers To Call You
This updated chapter will show you how to increase the response to your advertising by 300-500%! It is an awesome new way to track down motivated Sellers who are willing to give you a great deal.
Ill even show you how to use my web site so you dont have to become a web designer to make it work.
This new technique is the most exciting Ive used in years and it is dramatically increasing the profits of my coaching students.
Two FREE Bonus Books
(Value of $109.85 if purchased separately!)
FREE Bonus One How To Get Wealthy Buying And Selling Single Family Homes.
This book is worth $29.95 by itself.
It is full of useful moneymaking techniques on how to be successful as an investor and landlord of single-family homes.
FREE Bonus Two Real Estate Marketing Techniques I Used To Place Myself In The Top 1% Of ALL Real Estate Agents In The World!
Learn these techniques and you will succeed in ANY business you undertake.
They are the root of all great businesses, and provide essential information for anyone thinking of starting their own real estate investment business.
I've sold this course to Realtors for $79.90 by itself!
FREE Unadvertised Bonus How To Structure Zero Down Deals Transcript From Joes Hands-On Workshop RAW UNCUT UNEDITED
Appendix Every Contract And Form In This Book Is Here
Property Profile Sheet Inspection Form Purchase Agreement Counter Offer Inspection Response Investor Agreement Investor Qualifying Sheet Quitclaim Deed Tenant Application Lease Agreement Investor & Buyer Qualifying Sheet
Option To Buy Real Estate (used in conjunction with a lease for a Lease-Option Sale)
DISCLAIMER: The information in this book is solely advisory and should not be substituted for legal, financial or tax advice.
Any and all financial decisions and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a qualified attorney, financial advisor and/or CPA. This book is not intended to solicit properties already listed by a real estate agent.
Joe Crump (the author) and United Home (the publisher) have made their best effort to produce an accurate, informative and helpful book.
Nevertheless, they make no warranties of any kind with regard to the completeness or accuracy of the contents of this book.
They accept no liability of any kind for any losses or damages caused or alleged to be cause, directly or indirectly, from using the information contained in this book.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: Reproduction or translation of any part of this work, by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying beyond that permitted by Copyright Law, without the permission of the publisher, is unlawful.
Copyright 2000-2010 - United Home
Introduction
Vital Information That Tells You Why This System Works Like A Cash Machine!
One of the first lessons I learned in the business world was never to take advice from anyone unless they are doing better than you.
This is pretty sage advice no matter what the topic. If I'm buying a computer, I don't ask for help from the high school student at the "Best Buy" store down the street.
Instead, I will solicit the competent opinion of somebody I trust to give me insight on my purchase.
When financial planners approach me and want to help with investing my money, the first question I ask them is how much money they have. If they have more than I do, I will consider their offer. If not, I tell them to come back when they do.
So, since I'm in the position of giving you advice, let me tell you what makes me so smart. I have been in the real estate industry since 1986.
I have personally purchased and disposed of over $17 million dollars of real estate in my career (most of it with very little cash down).
As a real estate broker, I've helped hundreds of people purchase tens of millions of dollars in property. You might say I've been around the block.
I've also made every mistake possible... sometimes more than once. I've had both good and bad experiences, but I've always come out on top.
You see, I don't look at my failures as "failures." Rather, I see them as "tests."
I just kept testing until I got it right.
But ultimately, it's not just about the money...
It's about a lifestyle you love and a business you enjoy going to every morning.
It's about having the people you love around you and being able to give them the opportunities they deserve.
I have a great life.
I don't work on weekends.
I rarely work 40 hours a week (and very few of those hours actually feel like work).
I take off four to six weeks a year for fun and I make a healthy income.
Let me share with you a little piece of my typical day. I am not doing this just to tell you how great I am. I believe anyone can have the kind of life I enjoy and that they can develop it in a very short time.
Now, your idea of the great life may be very different than mine, but the concept is that you can have any life you want. Real estate can make it happen.
Now, back to my typical day. My wife Nancy and I get up in the morning and help the kids get ready for school. We eat, we laugh, and we talk about what we're going to do that day.
I drive the kids to school. We like to arrive a little early so we can read a few pages of "Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia or The Lord of the Rings." When the school bell rings, Alex and Katie rush off to class (they are 9 and 6 years old) and I go back home to play at my office.
I usually do something different every day, but I always ask myself "Is this activity productive or fun? If it is neither, can it be delegated? If it's not making me money or I'm not having fun, I don't do it.
Most of my work is on the phone or the computer. It is not very difficult work if you have the expertise and the knowledge.
So, enough about me. Let's talk about you.
Are you the right person for this book?
Will you take the information I give you and implement even a small portion of it?
If you do... you will succeed.
The beauty of this book is that these are simple ideas that can be used by anyone.
It doesn't matter how much education you have.
It doesn't matter what culture you come from.
It doesn't matter what you look like.
It doesn't matter how much money you have.
It doesn't matter how bad your credit is.
It doesn't matter if you have a job.
It doesn't matter how good you are taking tests.
It doesn't matter if you've never succeeded at anything before in your life.
You are not your past.
You do not have bad luck.
Your life does not have to be the same as it has always been.
A wise man once said, "If you do the same things you've always done, you'll get the same results you always got."
It's time to make a change.
By the time you finish this book you will have the tools to succeed. But it is up to you to grab the bull by the horns and take action.
If you will follow me on this journey, I will take you to places you have probably never been. I will introduce you to ideas you may have heard before, but never understood how to fit them into the big picture of your life.
I am going to teach you how to do two specific things.
One: You will learn how to create chunks of capital with short-term flip deals.
Two: You will discover how to replace your monthly income and create a long-term investment strategy by purchasing and holding real estate rental property.
You are going to learn how to do these things with no money, no credit, no job and no experience.
I am not just going to show you how to make money with real estate. I am going to show you how to build a successful real estate business from the ground up.
If you are just looking for a quick fix, you will get that here. But a quick fix is so much less than what you should take from this course. I want you to look at it as a complete package.
I am going to teach you about business systems. I know it sounds as boring as watching mud dry, but once you get into it you will realize how important it is to the success of any business.
It is also important in helping you create the lifestyle you want.
Just so you know what I'm talking about, let me give you and example of an amazingly successful business system... McDonald's.
This company has created a system that churns out consistent results wherever you go in the world.
No matter how you feel about their product, you always know what to expect when you go to a McDonald's. They have taken each process in their business and made it simple enough for the lowest level of skill worker to be able to accomplish their task consistently, over and over again.
This is what I have done in my business and it's what I'm going to teach you to do in yours.
In the pages of this book, you're going to learn how to find property you can buy with no money down, no credit check and no job.
You will learn specific techniques on how to find these unique pieces of real estate. You can NOT go to your local real estate agent and have him or her pull these up on his Multiple Listing Service.
Next, you will learn how to make offers on these properties.
I will teach you exactly what to say.
I'm going to provide hypothetical dialogues with the Seller to use as a guide.
Then I will show you how to fill out the purchase agreement so you are protected.
I will show you what to look for during an inspection and how to word your contracts so you don't get burned with a problem property.
You'll also learn about how to sell your homes and how to get top dollar for your property even in rough neighborhoods or during times of recession.
Marketing and financing are the keys to making money in real estate. If you understand these two concepts, you will make money in any business you choose, now and in the future.
So, let's get started.
Here comes the good stuff.
Soak it in and make it a part of who you are.
Think about it every day and it will become a part of you.
You are what you think.
Let's start thinking about money!
Section 1
Chapter 1
Technique #1 - Immediate Cash Flow... Make Thousands Of Dollars In A Few Short Weeks With This Technique.
Sound too good to be true? Read on for the details....
In this chapter, you will learn
1. How to obtain the right to sell properties without actually paying for them.
2. How to sell this real estate for a profit and walk away from closing with cash in your pocket!
You can use this technique over and over again and never spend a dime of your own money!
I am going to teach you two ways to do this.
The first is by finding real estate that is available for sale at less than 85% of market value. I will show you several simple, proven, marketing techniques for doing this in Chapter 3.
The second way to make short-term chunks of cash is by finding homes at full market value, but negotiating 100% financing with the Seller.
This is easier to do that it sounds.
You do it by buying a property "subject to the existing loans."
The most likely Seller you'll find who will do this is someone who can no longer afford to make his or her payments. There can be many reasons for this
Divorce Serious Illness Death in the family Loss of job Simple irresponsibility.
I will show you how to be a hero to these people.
You're goal should be to make a minimum of $3,000 per deal.
This may not sound like much, but if you do two or three of these per month, it starts looking very attractive... especially since you will have no money and very little time into each deal.
To make this work, you need to know five things
1. How to find the real estate. 2. How to inspect it. 3. How to write an offer and negotiate the best deal. 4. How to find investors to purchase the properties you find.
5. How to turn it all into a well oiled machine that makes you money over and over again.
Before I get into the five subjects above, let me explain how the deals on the two types of investment properties are structured.
Let's start with real estate that you find for 85% or less of market value.
I am going to get down to basics here, so if you already have a little experience with this stuff, stick with me.
If you have a home worth $100,000, you want to be able to buy it for no more than $85,000.
This is 85% of its market value (.85 X 100,000 = 85,000) also known as 85% Loan To Value (LTV).
The lower the LTV, the more money you and your investor will make, but finding properties less than 80% to 85% LTV is not that easy in a stable real estate market.
Let's be conservative and assume you will only be able to purchase properties at 85% LTV.
Using the above example, let's say you find a property worth $100,000 and you are able to purchase it for $85,000.
Lets also say that the only way the Seller will agree to this price is if you pay him all cash.
You are going to negotiate a purchase agreement with the Seller of the property using the forms I provide to do this.
It will be very similar to a standard real estate purchase agreement, except for the fact that you as the Buyer will write into the purchase agreement that you have the right to assign your interest to another Buyer.
Then, you bring in an investor (I will show you how to find them in Chapter 6) who will take over your contract on the property and pay $3,000 to you for signing over your interest.
The investor will purchase the property anyway he or she chooses and you will go on to the next deal.
If you can consistently find undervalued properties, finding investors will be easy. I will show you how to find these properties in Chapter 2.
Remember, there's no such thing as a textbook deal.
Every deal you make in real estate will be different than the previous one.
You need to understand these concepts and the structure of the deal, so you can replicate it in your hometown.
Prices are different all over the country. Some areas will be higher, some lower, but every deal will work using these principles.
Investors, along with wanna-be investors, don't know how to find undervalued real estate.
They will be happy to pay you a finder fee for helping them.
I know it works because they answer my ads every day.
The second type of property you will buy will be at market value.
The unique thing about these properties is you will purchase these homes "subject to the existing mortgage or trust deed."
What this means is, you are looking for property that is mortgaged at full market value (100% LTV).
So, lets take a $100,000 home again.
Suppose this home has a mortgage of $100,000.
It has mortgage payments of $865 per month.
The market rent for the area is $1100 per month.
The Seller has to move. The reason doesn't really matter. It may be a job transfer, a divorce, a death in the family, whatever... it has no impact on you.
They can't sell the home without coming up with $6,000 or $7,000 to pay a real estate agent and they don't have $6,000-$7,000.
This means they must rent out the property and become a landlord (which most people don't want to do) or they can sell it to you.
If they choose to sell, you will take it off their hands and begin to make payments on their mortgage.
Before you make your first payment, you will either sell the property to an investor or find someone to lease option the home.
Either way, you can put $3,000 in your pocket, immediately!
The most common type of Seller for this type of deal is someone who has purchased a new home in the past two or three years.
Because homebuyers typically pay a premium for new construction, they may have to wait up to five years before they can sell their home and break even (after they pay their real estate agent).
The value of the home has to go up about 9% for them to break even.
What this means for you is you will be able to purchase homes that are almost new.
This cuts way down on maintenance and repair costs. It also makes it easy to find renters or investors to buy from you.
Have I get your attention yet?
Let's move on to the five things you need to know to make these deals work.
Chapter 2
Finding The Properties - Where Do You Find Profitable Deals?
Finding enough properties to create a constant string of activity has always been the most difficult part of investing in real estate.
You are about to learn some simple foolproof methods to get your phone ringing. Within a few short days, you will have Sellers calling you and asking you to take their property.
Here are some of the simple things I do that really work.
Classified ads: This is an old standard. If you look in your Sunday real estate section of the newspaper, you'll find five or ten of these ads.
The last time I checked, there were twelve in my local newspaper.
They all said just about the same thing.
When I ran my ads, I tried to find something that would set them apart from the others. I tried putting a black box around the ad or CAPITALIZING the first line.
But you can also create other distinctions. Most of the ads in my local paper said something like this...
Cash for your home in 24 hours! 222-2222
Or
We buy homes for Cash- 222-2222
They all seem to be about the same, but they run every week so I assume they're getting calls.
I wanted to set my ads apart. Here is what I run.
Joe and Jeannie will buy your Home today for cash. Give us a Call at 222-2222
Or
I Will Make An Offer On Your Home Today! Call Joe 222-2222
These tiny distinctions increase my ad response 200% to 300%. There's no way to know for sure why it works, but I've tested it and it does.
I think it's because the first one is more friendly and easy to identify with. The second one shows you're ready to take action immediately.
You should be able to get ads like this for less than $20. You don't have to run them in a huge newspaper like the L.A. Times.
Put them in local papers if you are in a large metropolitan area.
NEVER spend a lot of money on ads unless you know they work. Test! Test! Test!
It won't be long before you know how much it costs you to get one deal.
Remember this, the people who answered your ad are probably in a big hurry to sell. Give them what they want and they'll beat a path to your door.
The second technique is...
Small plastic signs: You can have small plastic signs printed out for about four dollars apiece.
Go to a local sign company, the ones who print the local real estate signs, and ask them to make 30 bright yellow signs.
Make them the same size as a sheet of typing paper, about 8-1/2 x 11.
Have the sign company print them on yellow corrugated plastic, also known as coreplast.
Take your 30 signs, along with a staple hammer, and drive around the neighborhood where you want to purchase real estate.
Hammer these signs on telephone poles at major intersections. Try to get the sign up 7 or 8 feet so it is hard to tear down.
I love this technique. I get better, more targeted responses from this method than any other I use.
Your sign should say something like this... Cash for your home 222-2222
The third technique takes a little longer to get established.
It is...
Getting referrals: When people find out that you are a real estate investor, they will start bringing you deals.
It won't be long before you have more properties than you know what to do with.
Ask everyone you know if they know of property for sale. When your business gets up and running, this will probably be the only method you need.
In the meantime, start advertising today.
BEFORE YOU ADVERTISE Read Chapter 17 in this book. It is a new UPDATED Section that shows you how to
use web pages to dramatically increase the response you get on all of your advertising.
Property Profile Form
The following form will help you ask the right questions when someone calls and wants to sell you their home. All of these questions will help you determine the viability of the investment and the motivation of the Seller.
Property Profile Form
Where is the property located?
How much do you want for it?
What kind of condition is it in? Do all of the major functions (mechanicals) work? Furnace Water Heater Roof
How long have you owned it?
How much did you pay for it?
Do you have a mortgage, if so, how much do you owe?
How much do you think it is worth? Why?
Why are you selling?
Are you moving out of the area?
Do you have to sell or would you consider keeping it?
Chapter 3
Inspections - How To Keep From Losing Your Shirt
There are two situations where you are going to want to do an inspection on the property you intend to purchase.
The first inspection comes before you make your initial offer.
This is a cursory inspection you do yourself or have a knowledgeable friend do.
You need to feel pretty confident any problems with the property won't exceed your budget for the repairs.
There's no fixed number here. Let's say you find a property worth $100,000. The Seller is asking $80,000 and it needs $5,000 of repairs.
This means that you will have $85,000 into the property and a $15,000 profit margin after buying and selling expenses.
On the other hand, take the same property valued at $100,000... you are able to buy it for $70,000, but this time it has a $7,000 foundation problem in addition to the $5,000 of cosmetic work.
In this scenario, you will only have $82,000 into the property and $18,000 in profit after buying and selling expenses.
Personally, I love foundation problems.
They scare the heck of most people, but all you have to do is have a firm bid from a contractor who can do the work.
It will be very difficult for the Seller to unload a property like this without making a special deal because no one else wants to mess with it or is afraid of it.
The second inspection comes after the Seller has accepted your purchase offer.
If you use the contracts included in this package, there is verbiage in them that gives you the right to do an inspection.
A Buyer will have fifteen days to do a full inspection of the property and respond to the Seller in writing.
There are forms for the response. The Buyer has the right to ask the Seller to fix any major defects.
The Seller has the right to refuse to do the repairs, but if he refuses, the Buyer has the right to back out of the deal and receive a refund of his earnest money.
As the Buyer, it is important to know what condition the major functions of the house are in.
As an investor, you need to know how much it will cost you to fix the problems if the Seller refuses to do so.
Sometimes, in order to get a good deal on a property, the Buyer must accept the property in "as is" condition.
Just because you accept it in "as is" condition, does not mean at you shouldn't do an inspection. If it is understood the Seller will do no repairs, you (as the buyer) must
have a contingency to get you out of the deal if the repairs turn out to be too extensive.
There are many questions you must ask when doing an inspection on a property you are planning to purchase.
(For a complete form that you can fill out while doing your inspection, scroll down to the end of this chapter)
Does the roof leak? Is the wiring safe?
These questions, along with many others, are going to require professional help to answer.
If you are a competent contractor and feel secure in your knowledge of every major function of a home, then it makes sense to do the inspection yourself.
It only costs $200 or $300 to get a professional home inspection and it may well save you thousands.
According to the industry experts, there are at least 33 physical problems that will come under scrutiny during a home inspection. Weve identified the 11 most common of them, which, if not identified and dealt with, could cost you dearly in terms of repair.
In most cases, you can make a reasonable pre- inspection yourself if you know what youre looking for.
Knowing what youre looking for can prevent little problems from growing into costly and unmanageable ones.
1) Defective Plumbing Defective plumbing can manifest itself in two different ways: leaking and clogging. A visual inspection can detect leaking and an inspector will gauge water pressure by turning on all faucets in the highest bathroom and then flushing the toilet.
If you hear the sound of running water, it indicates that the pipes are undersized.
If the water appears dirty when first turned on at the faucet, this is a good indication that the pipes are rusting, which can result in severe water quality problems.
2) Damp or Wet Basement An inspector will check your walls for a powdery white mineral deposit a few inches off the floor and will look to see if you will be able to store things right on your basement floor.
A mildew odor is almost impossible to eliminate and an inspector will certainly be conscious of it.
It could cost you $300-$1,000 to seal a crack in or around your basement foundation depending on severity and location.
Adding a sump pump and pit will run you around $1,000 and complete waterproofing (of an average 3 bedroom home) could add up to $8,000-$15,000. You will have to weigh these figures into the calculation of how much money you want to net from your property.
3) Inadequate Or Improper Wiring and Electrical The home should have a minimum of 100 amps service and this should be clearly marked.
Wire should be copper, aluminum or knob and tube. Home inspectors will look at octopus plugs as indicative of inadequate circuits and a potential fire hazard.
4) Poor Heating and Cooling Systems Insufficient insulation and inadequate or poorly functioning heating systems are the most common causes of poor heating.
While an adequately clean furnace without rust on the heat exchanger usually has life left in it, an inspector will be checking to see if your furnace is over its typical life span of 10-15 years.
For a forced air gas system, a heat exchanger will come under particular scrutiny, since a cracked one can emit deadly carbon monoxide into the home. These heat exchangers must be replaced if damaged - they cannot be repaired.
5) Roofing Problems Water leakage through the roof can occur for a variety of reasons such as physical deterioration of the asphalt shingles (e.g. curling or splitting) or mechanical damage from a windstorm.
When gutters leak and down spouts allow water to run down and through the exterior walls, this external problem becomes a major internal one.
6) Damp Attic Spaces Aside from basement dampness, problems with ventilation, insulation and vapor barriers can cause water, moisture, mold and mildew to form in the attic.
This can lead to premature wear of the roof, structure and building materials. The cost to fix this damage could easily run over $2,500.
7) Rotting Wood This can occur in many places (door frame, window frame, trim, siding, decks and fences). The building inspector will sometimes probe the wood to see if rotting is present - especially when wood has been freshly painted.
8) Masonry Work Brickwork can be costly, but left unattended, these repairs can cause problems with water and moisture penetration into the home, which in turn could lead to a chimney being clogged by fallen bricks or even a chimney that falls onto the roof.
The cost to rebuild a 5 ft chimney is approximately $500. To repoint a 5 x 10 area would run around $250.
9.) Unsafe or Overfused Electrical Circuit A fire hazard is created when more amperage is drawn on the circuit than was intended.
15 amp circuits are the most common in a typical home with larger service for large appliances such as stoves and dryers. It will cost you about $600 to replace your fuse box with circuit panel.
10) Adequate Security Features An inspector will look for basic safety features that will protect a house such as: proper locks on windows and patio doors, dead bolts on the doors and smoke detectors in every bedroom and on every level.
To install a Carbon Monoxide Detector would run around $200. Youd need to invest about $150 to install 2
deadbolts and another $150 to install 3 to 5 smoke detectors.
11) Structural/Foundation Problems An inspector will certainly investigate the underlying footing of the home because structural integrity is fundamental to a good house. It would cost you about $300 to add a new footing and install a post. It will cost around $1,000 to replace a 40 ft beam.
When you buy a home or put one of your investment properties on the market, you dont want any unpleasant surprises that might cost you the sale.
By understanding these 11 problem areas and doing a proper inspection and walk-through of your home, youll be arming yourself against future disappointment and expense.
Inspection Form
Use the following form to help you analyze the condition of the property. Print this form out and take it with you to the home. Look at each item on the list.
This form is very similar to the forms used by professional home inspectors. If you don't know what some of these items are, make sure you get a book on home maintenance and find out before you continue.
General Condition_____________________________________________________________ Settling_______________________________________________________________________ Drainage/grading_______________________________________________________________ Surface condition_______________________________________________________________ Vegetation problems_____________________________________________________________ Physical damage________________________________________________________________
HEATIG-COOLIG Air cond./Heat pump manuf.________________________ Electrical power_________________ Gas Meter_________________________ Oil tank______ Furnace/fan coil unit manuf_______________________________________________________ Air cond. operation_____________________________________________________________ Air cond. Appearance____________________________________________________________ Air cond. piping________________________________________________________________ Gas/oil piping__________________________________________________________________ Oil tanks______________________________________________________________________ Heating operation_______________________________________________________________ Furnace appearance____________________________________________________________ Needs cleaning_________________________________________________________________ Air filter______________________________________________________________________ Flue__________________________________________________________________________ Drain_________________________________________________________________________ Secondary drain above ceiling_____________________________________________________ Heat exchanger_____________________________________________________________ Burners_______________________________________________________________________ Controls_______________________________________________________________________ Humidifier_____________________________________________________________________ Air cleaner_____________________________________________________________________ Combustion air_________________________________________________________________ Outside air intake_______________________________________________________________ Piping/insulation________________________________________________________________
Grilles/diffusers/convectors_______________________________________________________ Air ducts/insulation______________________________________________________________ Clearances to combustibles________________________________________________________ Clearance from doors/windows/roof_________________________________________________ Aux. heaters/wall heaters/unit heaters_______________________________________________
PLUMBIG Potable water supply_______________________ Waste______________
Well location_____________________ Septic location______________ Water heater________ Water flow operation____________________________________________________________ Drain flow operation_____________________________________________________________ Well system operation____________________________________________________________ Septic system operation__________________________________________________________ Faucets_______________________________________________________________________ Drains________________________________________________________________________ Valves________________________________________________________________ Pipes_________________________________________________________________________ Vents_________________________________________________________________________ Water heater_______________________________________________________________ Temperature-pressure relief valve/piping_____________________________________________ Water softener/filter equipment____________________________________________________ Sewage/waste pumps____________________________________________________________ Sump pumps___________________________________________________________________ Water heater in garage raised 18 above floor?________________________________________ Floor drains____________________________________________________________________ Bath tubs______________________________________________________________________ Showers_______________________________________________________________________ Sinks_________________________________________________________________ Water closets___________________________________________________________________ Spas/hot tubs__________________________________________________________________ Bidets________________________________________________________________________ Booster pumps_________________________________________________________________
Wiring in service panel___________________________________________________________ Wiring in attic__________________________________________________________________ Wiring in basement______________________________________________________________ Wiring in crawl space____________________________________________________________ Wall switches__________________________________________________________________ Receptacles____________________________________________________________________ Receptacles, GFI________________________________________________________________ Light fixtures_______________________________________________________________ Appliance receptacles____________________________________________________________ Appliance safety switches_________________________________________________________ Appliance disconnects___________________________________________________________ Appliance operation, permanent only________________________________________________ System grounding_______________________________________________________________ Clearances for safety_____________________________________________________________ Clearances for service____________________________________________________________
CRAWL SPACE Access________________________________________________________________________ Framing_______________________________________________________________________ Subfloor_______________________________________________________________________ Walls_________________________________________________________________________ Footings______________________________________________________________ Soil conditions_____________________________________________________________ Leaks in plumbing_______________________________________________________________ Leaks in walls__________________________________________________________________ Evidence of flooding/standing water________________________________________________ Foundation vents________________________________________________________________ Air ducts______________________________________________________________________ Piping________________________________________________________________ Electrical wiring/devices__________________________________________________________ Settling of walls/footings_________________________________________________________ Termites______________________________________________________________________ Mildew/fungus_________________________________________________________________
Making The Offer - A Step-by-Step Dialogue - Questions To Ask - Answers To Give
So, now that you have found the property, made a cursory inspection and feel comfortable with the amount of work that needs to be done in order to rent it or resell it, you need to make an offer.
Your intention is to secure the property under contract with the Seller, then assign your rights to purchase to an investor who has the capital to purchase it with cash or a new loan.
I will discuss how to get investors to purchase these properties in a later chapter.
The investor will pay you $3000 for the right to purchase the property. This is a separate agreement that you will have with the investor (see chapter 5).
Right now, we will focus on the Seller of the property and the offer you are going to make them, so you will have a reasonable chance of it being accepted.
Never offer more than you can afford to pay.
Don't get caught up in the idea that you are going to make it work no matter what. Let's face it, some deals just won't work and you have to let them go.
Ultimately, the person who gets the best deal is the person who is the least motivated. You have lots of potential homes to purchase. The Seller only has one home to sell.
Work up the numbers.
First, you need to know what the current market value of the property is.
Do this by going to your title company. You can choose to use any one you want, just look them up in the yellow pages.
Title companies have access to comparable sales (comps) of homes in the neighborhood.
Look for homes that are very similar to the one you are preparing to purchase.
Value the home you are going to buy based on how it compares to the homes that have sold before it.
Only use comps that are twelve months old or less.
There are two types of real estate we want to deal with here.
The first type is property you can purchase for cash for at least 15% under market value. You will sell these contracts to an investor to complete the deal.
Every investor out there is looking for this type of property and will gladly pay a fee to get it.
The second type of deal will be discussed in detail in Section 2 of this book. This type is purchased for full market value by taking title to the property "subject to the existing loans."
I will fully educate you on to make an offer on this type of property.
You don't need an investor to purchase these houses, but you can make quick cash from them if you do by using the "Agreement with Investor" forms that I give you in Chapter 5. They are also extremely easy to sell at a profit to investors.
So, let's start with property you find that is being sold at less than market value. Let's say you found a property that you think is worth $100,000. The Seller is asking $80,000.
Now you start negotiating.
The first rule of negotiating a real estate deal is to never negotiate verbally.
For a real estate transaction to be valid, it must be in writing.
Even negotiating verbally in order to come to an agreement before you write it down is a bad idea.
Use the purchase agreement as a negotiation tool.
Call the Seller on the phone and ask to meet with him. Tell him you are bringing an offer on his real estate. Don't tell him what the offer is over the phone.
Tell him you would like to sit down with him and explain it in person.
Using the contracts you will find in the contract chapter, fill out the purchase agreement. I'm will go into great detail about how to fill out these forms in Chapter 5. Right now, I'm just going cover the highlights.
Here's a short dialog with the Seller, which demonstrates how to present the offer when you're sitting across the table from the Seller.
Making The Offer (Dialogue)
You: Thanks for seeing me. I brought the offer with me. Can I go over it with you?
Seller: Sure, and you may as well know right up front that I won't take a penny less than the $80,000 we have already discussed.
You: I understand. I am offering the $80,000, but I need some help in order to get it closed. I am trying to purchase this property with as little down payment as possible. The lender requires us to come up with 10% down payment, but they will allow the Seller to pay my closing costs. Those costs are $2500. I've written that in right here.
Seller: I don't want to pay your closing costs. Why should I pay something for you?
You: The only way I can purchase this property is if I can keep my cash into the deal at a minimum. Everything else about the contract is pretty standard. This is the only
unusual thing about the deal and it is done every day in the real estate world.
If I can't finance it, I can't buy it... that's all there is to it. The whole reason we're buying this property is to either fix it up and resell it or rent it out. Either way, my partner and I are going have to spend more money on the renovation above our down payment.
NOTE: If the Seller won't work with you on this, you can always raise the price by 2500 dollars so that he will net the same. For example, if you pay him $82,500 and ask for $2,500, it still nets him the $80,000 that he wants. Just make sure the there is enough profit in the deal to make it worth doing for an investor.
You: You will receive cash at closing. I'm not asking you to carry back a second or sell it to me on contract. It is a very clean deal.
I would like to have possession of the property at closing. I also want to be able to do an inspection even though I will purchase it in "as is" condition. If I find a major problem in the inspection, you will not be required to fix it if you don't want to, but I do want to have the right to get out of the deal. I have already looked at the property and I don't anticipate any real problems. Do you know of anything that I should be aware of?
Seller: Well... the furnace is no good and it probably needs a roof in three or four years. Other than that, it's just cosmetic problems.
You: None of those problems are deal killers for me, but I do know that I need to spend money to get those things fixed before I rent or sell it.
We will prorate the taxes, which means you pay for the taxes up until the day of closing. After that, all taxes due will be my responsibility. And finally, we can close it in 60 days.
Are these things acceptable to you?
Seller: It sounds OK to me.
You: I may get the loan in the name of my partner or he may just pay cash. I have made this contract assignable by me to another Buyer. This makes it possible for him to get the loan in his name.
Seller: Who is this partner?
You: I work with three different people who buy everything that I find in exchange for a piece of their profit. Each of them is qualified to purchase this property. To protect myself, I don't go to them until I have secured the property with a purchase agreement.
Seller: Don't you trust them?
You: It's not a matter of trust, they are all good people, I just think it's good business to cover your butt and keep everything in writing.
Note: If this is at least the second time that you have done this, let the Seller know... it will give him some confidence that you can do it again.
End of Dialogue
Making the offer is not really very difficult. The type of offer that you are making has very few unusual aspects.
It's really pretty straightforward and won't scare Sellers or their Realtors (if they have one).
Once the Seller accepts your offer, make sure you get his signature in all the proper places. Have copies made so he can have a set.
Now it's time to call your investors.
Chapter 5 explains the contracts in detail. Chapter 6 shows you how to get investors for these properties.
Chapter 5
Contracts: Full Instructions On How To Fill Them Out. You Can Print These And Use Them.
Here is the list of contracts that you need to do the deals in Section #1
1. Purchase agreement 2. Counter offer 3. Inspection amendment 4. Response to inspection amendment 5. Agreement with investor
The first half of this chapter is an explanation of the forms with all of the blanks filled in. I have used red bold type to distinguish between the contract and the part that is filled in.
I have also included all MY NOTES in purple type so you know it is not part of the contract.
Following the filled out copy of the form, you will find a BLANK copy that you can print out and use for your own transactions.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN THE NEXT CHAPTER, PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING DISCLAIMER!
DISCLAIMER: Let me state again that I AM NOT AN ATTORNEY.
As a matter of fact, I don't even play one of TV. ;-) These contracts are an example and not necessarily complete for your purposes or needs concerning your specific situation.
Please have a qualified attorney review any contract that you enter into.
I am going to fill out the following forms in red and explain why I did what I did, in purple.
PURCHASE AGREEMENT
Date: _____August 14, 2020__________________
1. BUYER: ___Joe Crump_______________________________________________________ (Buyer) agrees to buy the following property from the owner (Seller) for the consideration and subject to the following terms, provisions, and conditions: 2. PROPERTY: The property (Property) is known as ____123 Main Street _______________ ____________in ________Boone____________County, _______Moneyville_______ City, _________ET______________State, and legally described as: _______Beauville Manor Springs, Section 7, Lot 134_________________________________ together with any existing improvements and fixtures attached, such as, but not limited to, electrical and/or gas fixtures, heating and central air-conditioning equipment and all attachments thereto, built-in kitchen equipment, sump pump, water softener, gas grills, central vacuum equipment, window shades/blinds, curtain rods, drapery poles and fixtures, ceiling fans and light fixtures, towel racks and bars, storm doors, windows, awnings, TV antennas, satellite dishes and controls, storage barns, all landscaping, mailbox, garage door opener with control(s) AND THE FOLLOWING: ____________Includes Refrigerator, Washer and Dryer_________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________ All items sold shall be fully paid for by Seller at time of closing the transaction. MY NOTES: The first part of the Purchase agreement is pretty self-explanatory. To get the legal description, talk to your title company. I will be discussing Title Companies a bit later in this contract. The important part here is about the refrigerator. Many states do not consider appliances as fixtures and they must be named independently on the contract. You can often get these appliances by simply asking for them.
3. PRICE: Buyer will pay the total purchase price of $_____115,000.00__________ for the Property. MY NOTES: Pick a price. Remember that we are going to be asking for closing costs and rehab expenses later in this contract. Find out what the average percent of the asking price homes sell for in your town (ask a real estate agent). If the average home sells for 97% of asking price (as it does in my state) and you offer full asking price, but ask for the Seller to pay $5500 of your closing costs (as we do here), you are really offering $109,500 or 95% of asking price. If the property is priced right to start with (i.e. 85% of real value), you would be doing well
to get it at this price. If it is too low for the Seller, you can always go above asking price in order to get the cash back that you need. Just make sure that all of the numbers in the transaction work. 4. EARNEST MONEY: Buyer submits $ _______500.00___________ as earnest money which shall be applied to purchase price. The "Seller" shall deposit earnest money into an escrow account at _____Chicago Title__________________Title Company, within two (2) banking days of acceptance of this Agreement and Title Company will hold it until time of closing the transaction or termination of this Agreement. If Buyer fails for any reason to submit earnest money, Seller may terminate this Agreement. Earnest money shall be returned promptly in the event this offer is not accepted. If this offer is accepted and Buyer fails or refuses to close the transaction, without legal cause, the earnest money shall be forfeited by Buyer to Seller as liquidated damages, and Seller may pursue any other legal and equitable remedies. The Title Company holding any earnest money is absolved from any responsibility to make payment to the Seller or Buyer unless the parties enter into a Mutual Release or a Court issues an Order for payment. If the parties do not mutually consent to the release of the earnest money, then they agree that the Title Company holding the earnest money may file an interpleader action with a Court regarding disposition of the earnest money and that the payment of the Title Company's resulting costs (including attorneys fees) incurred in connection with such interpleader are a priority claim against the earnest money regardless of the Courts apportionment of the balance of the earnest money. MY NOTES: Earnest money sits in a holding account at the title company that you and the Seller agree upon. It applies to your down payment at closing. You do not have to have earnest money in most states to have a valid contract. The amount of earnest money is determined by what you can negotiate with the Seller. Keep it as low as possible. If, for whatever reason, the deal falls apart, the only way the earnest money is release back to you is if you have a "Mutual Release" (provided by the title company) signed by BOTH Buyer and Seller. If there is a dispute over who should get the earnest money, it will sit in the escrow account until the Court issues an Order for Payment. As a Buyer, you have several contingencies in this contract. You or the person you assign must be able to get financing and you also are protected by the inspection clause. I will go into more detail about this later. 5. METHOD OF PAYMENT: (Circle appropriate paragraph letter) A. CASH: The entire purchase price shall be paid in cash and no financing is required. B. NEW MORTGAGE: Completion of this transaction shall be contingent upon the Buyer or the Buyer's assigns, ability to obtain a _X_ Conventional ____ Insured Conventional ____ FHA ____ VA ____Other ___________________ first mortgage loan for _Best Available LTV__ % of purchase price, payable in not less than _____30___ years, with an original rate of interest not to exceed __Best Available Rate__ % per annum and not to exceed __Best Available___ points.
Buyer shall pay all cost of obtaining financing, except__Seller to pay $2500 of any of Buyer's Costs To Purchase Property At Closing______________________ Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement, any inspections and charges which are required to be made and charged to Buyer or Seller by the lender, FHA, VA, mortgage insurer, or closing agent, shall be made and charged in accordance with their prevailing rules or regulations and shall supersede any provisions of this Agreement. MY NOTES: You must specify the type of financing you are using. Remember, you are not personally financing this transaction, you are going to assign this contract to an investor and he will get the loan or pay cash for the property. You are going to ask for closing costs in this transaction to help your investor purchase this home with a lower down payment. The figure above will cover closing costs for most non-occupied loans, but check with your lender before you write your offers to make sure you have allotted enough. LTV stands for "Loan To Value." C. OTHER METHOD OF PAYMENT: (Attach Financing Addendum) TIME FOR OBTAINING FINANCING: Buyer or Buyer's assigns agrees to make written application for any financing necessary to complete this transaction or for approval to assume the unpaid balance of the existing mortgage within _15_ days after the acceptance of this Agreement and to make a diligent effort to meet the lenders requirements and to obtain financing in cooperation with the Broker and Seller. No more than ______60______ days after acceptance of the Agreement shall be allowed for obtaining favorable written commitment(s) or mortgage assumption approval. If a commitment or approval is not obtained within the time specified above, this Agreement shall terminate unless an extension of time for this purpose is mutually agreed to in writing. MY NOTES: This just says you have 15 days to apply for a loan and 60 days to get loan approval. So your investor must have loan approval before the 60 days is up. 6. CLOSING: The closing of the sale (the Closing Date) shall be on or before __October 14th, 2020__________, or this Agreement shall terminate unless an extension of time is mutually agreed to in writing. If the method of payment for this transaction is cash, assumption or conditional sales contract, the closing fee shall be paid by __X_ BUYER ___ SELLER ___ shared equally. MY NOTES: The date is 60 days from the date the offer was made. Closing fees are usually paid for by the Buyer everythings negotiable. 7. POSSESSION: A. The possession of the Property shall be delivered to Buyer _X__ at closing ___ within ________days after closing. If Seller does not deliver possession by the date required in the first sentence of this paragraph, Seller shall pay Buyer $ _____75.00____________ per day as liquidated damages until possession is delivered to Buyer; and Buyer shall have all other legal and equitable remedies available against the Seller. MY NOTES: This says that you want possession at closing and that if they don't vacate the
property, they owe you $75 per day. This helps them get out in a timely manner. Don't make this figure too high; a court won't honor it if it is not reasonable. B. Maintenance of Property: Seller shall maintain the Property in its present condition until its possession is delivered to Buyer, subject to repairs in response to any inspection. Buyer may inspect the Property prior to closing to determine whether Seller has complied with this paragraph. C. Casualty Loss: Risk of loss by damage or destruction to the Property prior to the closing shall be borne by Seller. In the event any damage or destruction is not fully repaired prior to closing. Buyer, at Buyers option, may either (a) terminate this Agreement or (b) elect to close the transaction, in which event Sellers right to all insurance proceeds resulting from such damage or destruction shall be assigned in writing by Seller to Buyer. D. Utilities/Municipal Services: Seller shall pay for all municipal services and public utility charges through the day of possession. 8. SURVEY: Buyer shall receive a (check ONE) _X_ SURVEYOR LOCATION REPORT, which is a survey where corner markers are not set, ___ BOUNDARY SURVEY, which is a survey where corner markers of the Property are set prior to closing; ___ WAIVED, no survey required, at (Check ONE) _X__ BUYERS expense; ___ SELLERS expense. The survey shall (1) be received prior to closing and certified as of a current date; (2) be reasonably satisfactory to Buyer; (3) show the location of all improvements and easements; and (4) show the flood zone designation of the Property. MY NOTES: Most lenders want a survey done of the property before they will give a loan. This protects them from encroachments onto the subject property... i.e. if the next-door neighbor built the corner of his garage on your side of the property line. 9. FLOOD AREA/OTHER: Buyer __X_ may ___ may not terminate this Agreement if the Property requires flood insurance or Buyer _X__ may ___ may not terminate this Agreement if the Property is subject to building or use limitations by reason of the location. MY NOTES: If you didn't know it was in a flood plain and the numbers don't work because you have to pay flood insurance to get a loan, you can get out of the deal. 10. INSPECTIONS: BUYER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO HAVE THE PROPERTY INSPECTED (Including Lead-Based Paint) independent of and in addition to any inspections required by FHA, VA, or Buyers lender(s). All inspections are to be at Buyers expense (unless noted otherwise or required by lender) by qualified inspectors or contractors selected by Buyer within the following time periods.
12. INSPECTION/RESPONSE PERIOD: Buyer shall order all INDEPENDENT INSPECTIONS immediately after acceptance of the Purchase Agreement. Buyer shall have _25__ calendar days beginning the day following the date of acceptance of the Purchase Agreement to respond to the inspection report(s) in writing to Seller (see Buyers Response) except: (check appropriate paragraph(s) _X__ Buyer shall have __25__ calendar days to receive and respond in writing to the written lead based paint inspection and/or risk assessment report.
_X__ Buyer shall have __25__ calendar days to receive and respond in writing to the written Radon Report.
Inspections may include but are not limited to the condition of the following systems and components: heating, cooling, electrical, plumbing, roof, walls, ceilings, floors, foundation, basement, crawl space, well/septic, water, wood-eating insects and organisms, lead-based paint (note: intact lead-based paint that is in good condition is not necessarily a hazard), radon tested at lowest livable area either currently finished or unfinished) and/or the following: ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ _________If the Buyer does not comply with Inspection/Response Period or make a written objection to any problem revealed in the report within the Inspection/Response Period, The Property shall be deemed to be acceptable. If the Buyer, in the reasonable discretion, believes that the Inspection Report reveals a MAJOR DEFECT with the Property and the Seller is unable or unwilling to remedy the defect to the Buyers reasonable satisfaction before closing (or at a time otherwise agreed to by the parties), then this Agreement may be terminated by the Buyer or such defect shall be waived by the Buyer and the transaction shall proceed toward closing. BUYER AGREES THAT ANY PROPERTY DEFECT PREVIOUSLY DISCLOSED BY SELLER OR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND MINOR REPAIR ITEMS MENTIONED IN ANY REPORT TOTALLING NO MORE THAN $ ______250________ TO REMEDY, SHALL NOT BE A BASIS FOR TERMINATION OF THIS AGREEMENT. MY NOTES: You have the right to have the property inspected by a professional home inspector. If you find a MAJOR DEFECT, (in this case defined by a cost of $250), you have the right to ask the Seller to fix the problem. The Seller has the right to say NO. But, if he says NO, you have the right to back out of the contract and get your earnest money back. (Of course, the Seller must still sign a Mutual Release for you to get your money). As an investor, you probably won't make use of this contingency... you are buying under value and should expect the home to be in less than perfect shape. It may even be in terrible shape. You just need this clause in case there are any surprises. 13. TITLE APPROVAL: Prior to closing, Buyer shall be furnished _X__ a commitment for title insurance in the amount of purchase price or ___ an abstract of title continued to date showing marketable title to the Property to pay mortgage policy. Any encumbrances or defects in title must be removed and Seller must convey title free and clear of any encumbrances and title defects, with the exception of any mortgage assumed by Buyer and any restrictions and easements of record which will not materially interfere with Buyers intended use of the Property. Seller shall order the commitment _X__ immediately ___ after mortgage approval. Seller agrees to pay the cost of obtaining all other documents necessary to perfect title (including the cost of the deed and vendors affidavit), so that marketable title can be conveyed. MY NOTES: Title Insurance guarantees that you are getting the
property free and clear of any liens or encumbrances that may have been placed against the property. It is paid for by the Seller and is vital to this type of transaction.
14. TAXES: All taxes assessed for any prior calendar year and remaining unpaid shall be paid by Seller, and all taxes assessed for the current calendar year shall be prorated between Seller and Buyer on a calendar-year basis as of the day immediately prior to the Closing Date. If the tax rate and/or assessment for taxes assessed in the current year have not been determined at the closing of the transaction, the rate and/or assessment shall be assumed to be the same as the prior year for the purpose of such proration and credit for due but unpaid taxes and this shall be a final settlement.
If at the time of closing the tax bill for the Property for the succeeding year has not been issued, taxes payable by either party shall be computed based on the most recent tax rate and/or assessment available to the closing agent. WARNING: The succeeding year tax bill for recently constructed homes or following reassessment periods may greatly exceed the last tax bill available to the closing agent. MY NOTES: This just says that the property taxes for the home will be prorated to the day of closing. They will pay up to the day of closing. You will pay starting with the closing date.
15. PRORATIONS AND SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS: Insurance, if assigned to Buyer, interest on any debt assumed or taken subject to, any rents, all other income and ordinary operating expenses of the Property, including but not limited to, public utility charges, shall be prorated as of the day prior to the Closing Date. Seller shall pay any special assessments applicable to the Property for municipal improvements previously made to benefit the Property. Seller warrants that Seller has no knowledge of any planned improvements which may result in assessments and that no governmental or private agency has served notice requiring repairs, alterations or corrections of any existing conditions. Public or municipal improvements which are not completed as of the date above but which will result in a lien or charge shall be paid by Buyer. Buyer will assume and pay all special assessments for municipal improvements completed after the date of this Agreement. MY NOTES: The government can assess property owners for improvements to the area. Typical improvements for homeowners include sewers and water lines.
16. TIME: Time is of the essence. Time periods specified in this Agreement and any subsequent Addenda to the Purchase Agreement are calendar days and shall expire at midnight of the date stated unless the parties agree in writing to a different date and/or time.
17. HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION/CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION: Documents for a mandatory membership association shall be delivered by the Seller to Buyer within __7___ days after acceptance of this Agreement. If the Buyer does not make a written response to the documents within __25____ days after receipt, the documents shall be deemed acceptable. In the event the Buyer does not accept the provisions in the documents and such provisions cannot be waived, this Agreement may be terminated by the Buyer and the earnest money deposit shall be refunded to Buyer promptly. Any approval of sale required by the Association shall be obtained by the Seller, in writing, within __15____ days after Buyers approval of the documents. MY NOTES: If there is a MANDATORY Homeowner's Association, the Seller is required to give you all of the documents pertaining to it within 7 days. You then have 25 days to respond if you don't like something in them... Let's say you wanted to park an RV in the driveway, but the Association forbids it. You could get out of the contract with this objection.
18. ATTORNEYS FEES: Any party to this Agreement who is the prevailing party in any legal or equitable proceeding against any other party brought under or with relation to the Agreement or transaction shall be additionally entitled to recover court costs and reasonable attorney' fees from the non-prevailing party.
19. MISCELLANEOUS:
A. Unless otherwise provided, any prorations for rent, taxes, insurance, damage deposits, association dues/assessments, or any other items shall be computed through the date of closing. B. Conveyance of this Property shall be by general Warranty Deed, subject to taxes, easements, restrictive covenants and encumbrances of record, unless otherwise agreed. C. Seller represents and warrants that Seller is not a foreign person (individual entity) and, therefore, not subject to the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act. D. Any notice required or permitted to be delivered shall be deemed received when personally delivered, transmitted by facsimile or sent by express courier or United States mail, postage prepaid, certified and return receipt requested, addressed to Seller or Buyer or the designated agent of either party at the address set forth below the signature of the party. E. In case any provision contained in this Agreement is held invalid, illegal, or unenforceable in any respect, the invalidity, illegality, or unenforceability shall not affect any other provision of this Agreement. F. This Agreement constitutes the sole and only agreement of the parties and supersedes any prior understandings or written or oral agreements between the parties respecting the transaction and cannot be changed except by their written consent. G. All rights, duties and obligations of the parties shall survive the passing of title to, or an interest in, the Property.
H. Buyer discloses to Seller that Buyer is licensed and holds Real Estate License #_______________________. MY NOTES: If you are a licensed Real Estate Agent, you must disclose this to the Seller.
20. FURTHER CONDITIONS: _____SELLER TO PAY BUYER $3,000 AT CLOSING TO COVER ADDITIONAL COSTS FOR REHAB OR CARPET ____________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ _THIS CONTRACT MAY BE ASSIGNED BY THE BUYER TO AN ALTERNATE BUYER ___ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ MY NOTES: The $3000 is what the Investor is going to pay you at closing. You will have a separate agreement with the Investor. The Assignment clause makes it possible for the investor to take over this contract. Not every Seller is going to like this clause. The savvy ones will have one big objection... can the person who this contract is being assigned too QUALIFY for the loan? You need to help them understand that you work with several investors and that they all have been prequalified to purchase your homes. 21. EXPIRATION OF OFFER: Unless accepted by Seller and delivered by Buyer by ___5:00____ ____A.M. / P.M. (circle one), the _____15____ day of __August______, 20__20____ , this Purchase Agreement shall be null and void and all parties shall be relieved of any and all liability or obligations. MY NOTES: I think 24 hours is plenty of time for a Seller to make a decision about your offer. If he needs more time, give it to him. But make the response time short in writing to keep the ball rolling. Don't let it languish for a week... If you do, it will probably die. 22. CONSULT YOUR ADVISORS: Buyer and Seller acknowledge they have been advised that, prior to signing this document, they may seek the advice of an attorney for the legal or tax consequences of this document and the transaction to which it relates. In any real estate transaction, it is recommended that you consult with a professional, such as a civil engineer, environmental engineer, or other person, with experience in evaluating the condition of the Property.. MY NOTES: Talk to an attorney! I'm not just saying this to cover my butt. I mean it.
This Agreement may be executed simultaneously or in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. The parties agree that this Agreement may be transmitted between them by facsimile machine. The parties intend that faxed signatures constitute original signatures and are binding on the parties. The original document shall be promptly delivered, if requested.
_Joe Crump________________8-14-2020_ _______________________________________ BUYERS SIGNATURE DATE BUYERS SIGNATURE DATE
________________________________________ _______________________________________ BUYERS SOCIAL SECURITY #/FEDERAL I.D. # BUYERS SOCIAL SECURITY #/FEDERAL I.D. #
_____________________________________ ________________________________________ MAILING ADDRESS ZIP CODE MAILING ADDRESS ZIP CODE
_____________________________________ ________________________________________ (Area Code) TELEPHONE NUMBER (Area Code) TELEPHONE NUMBER
___ A. As the Seller(s) of the property described herein, the above terms and conditions are accepted this ____ day of ___________ at ___________ __ A.M. ___ P.M. ___ Noon
______________________________________ _________________________________________ SELLERS SIGNATURE DATE SELLERS SIGNATURE DATE
________________________________________ ______________________________________ SELLERS SOCIAL SECURITY #/FEDERAL I.D.# SELLERS SOCIAL SECURITY #/FEDERAL I.D.
________________________________________ ______________________________________ MAILING ADDRESS ZIP CODE MAILING ADDRESS ZIP CODE
_______________________________________ ________________________________________ (Area Code) TELEPHONE NUMBER (Area Code) TELEPHONE NUMBER
MY NOTES: Fill out this bottom section entirely. You must have the Seller's signatures on this page for this offer to be a valid "accepted" offer.
The following is a BLANK "Purchase Agreement" Form that you can print, fill out and use. After that, we will discuss the "Counter Offer Form."
PURCHASE AGREEMENT
Date: _______________________
1. BUYER: ____________________________________________________________________ (Buyer) agrees to buy the following property from the owner (Seller) for the consideration and subject to the following terms, provisions, and conditions: 2. PROPERTY: The property (Property) is known as ______________________________ ______________________________ ________in _________________________County, _________________________ City, _________________________State, and legally described as: ____________________________________________________________ _______________________________________ together with any existing improvements and fixtures attached, such as, but not limited to, electrical and/or gas fixtures, heating and central air-conditioning equipment and all attachments thereto, built-in kitchen equipment, sump pump, water softener, gas grills, central vacuum equipment, window shades/blinds, curtain rods, drapery poles and fixtures, ceiling fans and light fixtures, towel racks and bars, storm doors, windows, awnings, TV antennas, satellite dishes and controls, storage barns, all landscaping, mailbox, garage door opener with control(s) AND THE FOLLOWING: ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ _ All items sold shall be fully paid for by Seller at time of closing the transaction. 3. PRICE: Buyer will pay the total purchase price of $_______________________ for the Property. 4. EARNEST MONEY: Buyer submits $ ______________________ as earnest money which shall be applied to purchase price. The "Seller" shall deposit earnest money into an escrow account at _______________________Title Company, within two (2) banking days of acceptance of this Agreement and Title Company will hold it until time of closing the transaction or termination of this Agreement. If Buyer fails for any reason to submit earnest money, Seller may terminate this Agreement. Earnest money shall be returned promptly in the event this offer is not accepted. If this offer is accepted and Buyer fails or refuses to close the transaction, without legal cause, the earnest money shall be forfeited by Buyer to Seller as liquidated damages, and Seller may pursue any other legal and equitable remedies. The Title Company holding any earnest money is absolved from any responsibility to make payment to the Seller or Buyer unless the parties enter into a Mutual Release or a Court issues an Order for payment. If the parties do not mutually consent to the release of the earnest money, then they agree that the Title Company holding the earnest money may file an interpleader action with a Court regarding disposition of the earnest money and that the payment of the Title Company's resulting costs (including attorneys fees) incurred in connection with such interpleader are a priority claim against the earnest money regardless of the Courts apportionment of the balance of the earnest money. 5. METHOD OF PAYMENT: (Circle appropriate paragraph letter) C. CASH: The entire purchase price shall be paid in cash and no financing is required.
D. NEW MORTGAGE: Completion of this transaction shall be contingent upon the Buyer or the Buyer's assigns, ability to obtain a __ Conventional ____ Insured Conventional ____ FHA ____ VA ____Other ___________________ first mortgage loan for __________ % of purchase price, payable in not less than __________ years, with an original rate of interest not to exceed ________ % per annum and not to exceed __________ points. Buyer shall pay all cost of obtaining financing, except _____________________________________________________ Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement, any inspections and charges which are required to be made and charged to Buyer or Seller by the lender, FHA, VA, mortgage insurer, or closing agent, shall be made and charged in accordance with their prevailing rules or regulations and shall supersede any provisions of this Agreement. C. OTHER METHOD OF PAYMENT: (Attach Financing Addendum) 6. TIME FOR OBTAINING FINANCING: Buyer or Buyer's assigns agrees to make written application for any financing necessary to complete this transaction or for approval to assume the unpaid balance of the existing mortgage within ____ days after the acceptance of this Agreement and to make a diligent effort to meet the lenders requirements and to obtain financing in cooperation with the Broker and Seller. No more than ______________ days after acceptance of the Agreement shall be allowed for obtaining favorable written commitment(s) or mortgage assumption approval. If a commitment or approval is not obtained within the time specified above, this Agreement shall terminate unless an extension of time for this purpose is mutually agreed to in writing. 7. CLOSING: The closing of the sale (the Closing Date) shall be on or before ________________________, or this Agreement shall terminate unless an extension of time is mutually agreed to in writing. If the method of payment for this transaction is cash, assumption or conditional sales contract, the closing fee shall be paid by ___ BUYER ___ SELLER ___ shared equally. 8. POSSESSION: E. The possession of the Property shall be delivered to Buyer ___ at closing ___ within ________days after closing. If Seller does not deliver possession by the date required in the first sentence of this paragraph, Seller shall pay Buyer $ ___________________ per day as liquidated damages until possession is delivered to Buyer; and Buyer shall have all other legal and equitable remedies available against the Seller. F. Maintenance of Property: Seller shall maintain the Property in its present condition until its possession is delivered to Buyer, subject to repairs in response to any inspection. Buyer may inspect the Property prior to closing to determine whether Seller has complied with this paragraph. G. Casualty Loss: Risk of loss by damage or destruction to the Property prior to the closing shall be borne by Seller. In the event any damage or destruction is not fully repaired prior to closing. Buyer, at Buyers option, may either (a) terminate this Agreement or (b) elect to close the transaction, in which event Sellers right to all insurance proceeds resulting from such damage or destruction shall be assigned in writing by Seller to Buyer. H. Utilities/Municipal Services: Seller shall pay for all municipal services and public utility charges through the day of possession. 9. SURVEY: Buyer shall receive a (check ONE) ___ SURVEYOR LOCATION REPORT, which is a survey where corner markers are not set, ___ BOUNDARY SURVEY, which is a survey where corner markers of the Property are set prior to closing; ___ WAIVED, no survey required, at (Check ONE) ___ BUYERS expense; ___ SELLERS expense. The survey shall (1) be received prior to closing and certified as of a current date; (2) be reasonably satisfactory
to Buyer; (3) show the location of all improvements and easements; and (4) show the flood zone designation of the Property. 10. FLOOD AREA/OTHER: Buyer ___ may ___ may not terminate this Agreement if the Property requires flood insurance or Buyer ___ may ___ may not terminate this Agreement if the Property is subject to building or use limitations by reason of the location. 11. INSPECTIONS: BUYER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO HAVE THE PROPERTY INSPECTED (Including Lead-Based Paint) independent of and in addition to any inspections required by FHA, VA, or Buyers lender(s). All inspections are to be at Buyers expense (unless noted otherwise or required by lender) by qualified inspectors or contractors selected by Buyer within the following time periods.
12. INSPECTION/RESPONSE PERIOD: Buyer shall order all INDEPENDENT INSPECTIONS immediately after acceptance of the Purchase Agreement. Buyer shall have _____ calendar days beginning the day following the date of acceptance of the Purchase Agreement to respond to the inspection report(s) in writing to Seller (see Buyers Response) except: (check appropriate paragraph(s) ___ Buyer shall have ____ calendar days to receive and respond in writing to the written lead based paint inspection and/or risk assessment report. ___ Buyer shall have ____ calendar days to receive and respond in writing to the written Radon Report.
Inspections may include but are not limited to the condition of the following systems and components: heating, cooling, electrical, plumbing, roof, walls, ceilings, floors, foundation, basement, crawl space, well/septic, water, wood-eating insects and organisms, lead-based paint (note: intact lead-based paint that is in good condition is not necessarily a hazard), radon tested at lowest livable area either currently finished or unfinished) and/or the following: ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ _________If the Buyer does not comply with Inspection/Response Period or make a written objection to any problem revealed in the report within the Inspection/Response Period, The Property shall be deemed to be acceptable. If the Buyer, in the reasonable discretion, believes that the Inspection Report reveals a MAJOR DEFECT with the Property and the Seller is unable or unwilling to remedy the defect to the Buyers reasonable satisfaction before closing (or at a time otherwise agreed to by the parties), then this Agreement may be terminated by the Buyer or such defect shall be waived by the Buyer and the transaction shall proceed toward closing. BUYER AGREES THAT ANY PROPERTY DEFECT PREVIOUSLY DISCLOSED BY SELLER OR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND MINOR REPAIR ITEMS MENTIONED IN ANY REPORT TOTALLING NO MORE THAN $ ______________ TO REMEDY, SHALL NOT BE A BASIS FOR TERMINATION OF THIS AGREEMENT. 13. TITLE APPROVAL: Prior to closing, Buyer shall be furnished ___ a commitment for title insurance in the amount of purchase price or ___ an abstract of title continued to date showing marketable title to the Property to pay mortgage policy. Any encumbrances or defects in title must be removed and Seller must convey title free and clear of any encumbrances and title defects, with the exception of any mortgage assumed by Buyer and any restrictions and easements of record which will not materially interfere with Buyers intended use of the Property. Seller shall order the commitment ___ immediately ___ after mortgage approval.
Seller agrees to pay the cost of obtaining all other documents necessary to perfect title (including the cost of the deed and vendors affidavit), so that marketable title can be conveyed.
14. TAXES: All taxes assessed for any prior calendar year and remaining unpaid shall be paid by Seller, and all taxes assessed for the current calendar year shall be prorated between Seller and Buyer on a calendar-year basis as of the day immediately prior to the Closing Date. If the tax rate and/or assessment for taxes assessed in the current year have not been determined at the closing of the transaction, the rate and/or assessment shall be assumed to be the same as the prior year for the purpose of such proration and credit for due but unpaid taxes and this shall be a final settlement.
If at the time of closing the tax bill for the Property for the succeeding year has not been issued, taxes payable by either party shall be computed based on the most recent tax rate and/or assessment available to the closing agent. WARNING: The succeeding year tax bill for recently constructed homes or following reassessment periods may greatly exceed the last tax bill available to the closing agent.
15. PRORATIONS AND SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS: Insurance, if assigned to Buyer, interest on any debt assumed or taken subject to, any rents, all other income and ordinary operating expenses of the Property, including but not limited to, public utility charges, shall be prorated as of the day prior to the Closing Date. Seller shall pay any special assessments applicable to the Property for municipal improvements previously made to benefit the Property. Seller warrants that Seller has no knowledge of any planned improvements which may result in assessments and that no governmental or private agency has served notice requiring repairs, alterations or corrections of any existing conditions. Public or municipal improvements which are not completed as of the date above but which will result in a lien or charge shall be paid by Buyer. Buyer will assume and pay all special assessments for municipal improvements completed after the date of this Agreement. 16. TIME: Time is of the essence. Time periods specified in this Agreement and any subsequent Addenda to the Purchase Agreement are calendar days and shall expire at midnight of the date stated unless the parties agree in writing to a different date and/or time. 17. HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION/CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION: Documents for a mandatory membership association shall be delivered by the Seller to Buyer within _____ days after acceptance of this Agreement. If the Buyer does not make a written response to the documents within ______ days after receipt, the documents shall be deemed acceptable. In the event the Buyer does not accept the provisions in the documents and such provisions cannot be waived, this Agreement may be terminated by the Buyer and the earnest money deposit shall be refunded to Buyer promptly. Any approval of sale required by the Association shall be obtained by the Seller, in writing, within ______ days after Buyers approval of the documents. 18. ATTORNEYS FEES: Any party to this Agreement who is the prevailing party in any legal or equitable proceeding against any other party brought under or with relation to the Agreement or transaction shall be additionally entitled to recover court costs and reasonable attorney' fees from the non-prevailing party.
19. MISCELLANEOUS: I. Unless otherwise provided, any prorations for rent, taxes, insurance, damage deposits, association dues/assessments, or any other items shall be computed through the date of closing. J. Conveyance of this Property shall be by general Warranty Deed, subject to taxes, easements, restrictive covenants and encumbrances of record, unless otherwise agreed. K. Seller represents and warrants that Seller is not a foreign person (individual entity) and, therefore, not subject to the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act. L. Any notice required or permitted to be delivered shall be deemed received when personally delivered, transmitted by facsimile or sent by express courier or United States mail, postage prepaid, certified and return receipt requested, addressed to Seller or Buyer or the designated agent of either party at the address set forth below the signature of the party. M. In case any provision contained in this Agreement is held invalid, illegal, or unenforceable in any respect, the invalidity, illegality, or unenforceability shall not affect any other provision of this Agreement. N. This Agreement constitutes the sole and only agreement of the parties and supersedes any prior understandings or written or oral agreements between the parties respecting the transaction and cannot be changed except by their written consent. O. All rights, duties and obligations of the parties shall survive the passing of title to, or an interest in, the Property. P. Buyer discloses to Seller that Buyer is licensed and holds Real Estate License #_______________________.
20. FURTHER CONDITIONS: ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 21. EXPIRATION OF OFFER: Unless accepted by Seller and delivered by Buyer by _________ ____A.M. / P.M. (circle one), the _________ day of ______________, 20______ , this Purchase Agreement shall be null and void and all parties shall be relieved of any and all liability or obligations. 22. CONSULT YOUR ADVISORS: Buyer and Seller acknowledge they have been advised that, prior to signing this document, they may seek the advice of an attorney for the legal or tax consequences of this document and the transaction to which it relates. In any real estate transaction, it is recommended that you consult with a professional, such as a civil engineer, environmental engineer, or other person, with experience in evaluating the condition of the Property.
This Agreement may be executed simultaneously or in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. The parties agree that this Agreement may be transmitted between them by facsimile machine. The parties intend that faxed signatures constitute original signatures and are binding on the parties. The original document shall be promptly delivered, if requested.
________________________________________ _______________________________________ BUYERS SIGNATURE DATE BUYERS SIGNATURE DATE
________________________________________ _______________________________________ BUYERS SOCIAL SECURITY #/FEDERAL I.D. # BUYERS SOCIAL SECURITY #/FEDERAL I.D. #
_____________________________________ ________________________________________ MAILING ADDRESS ZIP CODE MAILING ADDRESS ZIP CODE
_____________________________________ ________________________________________ (Area Code) TELEPHONE NUMBER (Area Code) TELEPHONE NUMBER
___ A. As the Seller(s) of the property described herein, the above terms and conditions are accepted this ____ day of ___________ at ___________ __ A.M. ___ P.M. ___ Noon
______________________________________ _________________________________________ SELLERS SIGNATURE DATE SELLERS SIGNATURE DATE
________________________________________ ______________________________________ SELLERS SOCIAL SECURITY #/FEDERAL I.D.# SELLERS SOCIAL SECURITY #/FEDERAL I.D.
________________________________________ ______________________________________ MAILING ADDRESS ZIP CODE MAILING ADDRESS ZIP CODE
_______________________________________ ________________________________________ (Area Code) TELEPHONE NUMBER (Area Code) TELEPHONE NUMBER
The Seller has THREE ways they can respond to your offer.
One: Accept it as written. Two: Tell you to get lost... reject it outright. Three: Make a counter offer. We will discuss the counter offer next.
COUNTER OFFER # ___1___ MY NOTES: The counter offer can be made by the Buyer or the Seller. If the Seller doesn't like the original offer, he or she can counter the offer with an alternative. If the Buyer doesn't like the Seller's counter, he or she can counter again. That is why there is a blank line at the top... to tell you which counter you are on. For a contract to be valid, a complete path through the counter offers must be signed. For example, if the Seller counters your original offer, that is counter offer #1. If you counter their counter #1, your counter is counter #2. Let's say that the Seller decides to counter your counter offer #2 with counter offer #3 and you decide to accept Counter #3... here is how the forms must be signed. The Buyer signs the original offer. The Seller signs counter #1. The Buyer signs counter #2. Both Buyer and Seller sign counter offer #3. That is a complete contract.
The undersigned makes the following Counter Offer to the Purchase Agreement Dated ________ August 14th , 2020____________________________ concerning property commonly known as _______________123 Main Street _______________________________________________ ____________________________ in _______________________________________ Township, __________________________________ County, _________________________________ City, __________________________________State, between: _______________________________ _____________________________________ as Sellers ________________________________ ______________________________________as Buyer(s) MY NOTES: The above is pretty self-explanatory. Just fill in the vital info for this purchase.
________________________________________________________________________________ 1. Price to be $120,000.____________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ MY NOTES: In the spaces above, you fill out the changes you want to make in the original contract. Let's say the Seller liked everything about the offer except the price. He simply raises the price in the counter offer. Everything else about the contract stays the same.
Note: Seller has the right to accept any other offer and Buyer has the right to withdraw any offer prior to written acceptance and delivery of such offer/counter offer.
All other terms and conditions of the Purchase Agreement and all previous Counter Offers shall remain in effect except as modified by this Counter Offer.
This Counter Offer # ___________ is void if not accepted in writing on or before ____________________ ___ A.M. ______P.M. on (date) _______________________________.
This agreement may be executed simultaneously or in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. The parties agree that this Agreement may be transmitted between them by facsimile machine. The parties intend that faxed signatures constitute original signatures and are binding on the parties. The original document shall be promptly executed and/or delivered, if requested.
____________________________________ _________________________________________ SELLERS/BUYERS SIGNATURE DATE SELLERS/BUYERS SIGNATURE DATE
__________________________________ ________________________________________ (Area Code) TELEPHONE NUMBER (Area Code) TELEPHONE NUMBER MY NOTES: The Buyer has a specified amount of time to respond to the counter. I happen to like 24 hours because it keeps things moving, but sometimes you have to be flexible and give more time. ACCEPTANCE OF COUNTER OFFER # _________
The above Counter Offer # ____________ is accepted at __________________________ ___ A.M. ___ P.M. ___ Noon ___ Midnight __________________________ Receipt of a signed copy of this Counter Offer is acknowledged.
_____________________________________ _______________________________________ SELLER /BUYER SIGNATURE DATE SELLER /BUYER SIGNATURE DATE
_____________________________________ _____________________________________ SELLERS SOCIAL SECURITY #/FEDERAL I.D.SELLERS SOCIAL SECURITY #/FEDERAL I.D. MY NOTES: If the counter is acceptable, fill in the time and dates, sign it and you've got a deal. If the numbers don't work, try to counter back and see what happens. Don't do a deal just to do a deal. Make sure you have a reasonable chance to profit. The strongest position you have, as a Buyer, is that there are many properties to buy... the Seller just has one property to sell.
On the following page is a BLANK "Counter Offer" form that you can print, fill out and use. In the next section, I will fill out an Inspection Amendment form to help you understand the inspection process.
The undersigned makes the following Counter Offer to the Purchase Agreement Dated ____________________________________ concerning property commonly known as _______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________ in _______________________________________ Township, __________________________________ County, __________________________________ City, __________________________________State, between: ________________________________ _____________________________________ as Sellers _________________________________ ______________________________________as Buyer(s)
Note: Seller has the right to accept any other offer and Buyer has the right to withdraw any offer prior to written acceptance and delivery of such offer/counter offer.
All other terms and conditions of the Purchase Agreement and all previous Counter Offers shall remain in effect except as modified by this Counter Offer.
This Counter Offer # ___________ is void if not accepted in writing on or before ____________________ _____ A.M. ______P.M. on (date) _______________________________.
This agreement may be executed simultaneously or in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. The parties agree that this Agreement may be transmitted between them by facsimile machine. The parties intend that faxed signatures constitute original signatures and are binding on the parties. The original document shall be promptly executed and/or delivered, if requested.
____________________________________ _________________________________________ SELLERS/BUYERS SIGNATURE DATE SELLERS/BUYERS SIGNATURE DATE
____________________________________ ______________________________________ SELLERS SOCIAL SECURITY #/FEDERAL I.D.SELLERS SOCIAL SECURITY #/FEDERAL I.D.
____________________________________ ______________________________________ MAILING ADDRESS ZIP CODE MAILING ADDRESS ZIP CODE
__________________________________ ________________________________________ (Area Code) TELEPHONE NUMBER (Area Code) TELEPHONE NUMBER
ACCEPTANCE OF COUNTER OFFER # _________
The above Counter Offer # ____________ is accepted at __________________________ ___ A.M. ___ P.M. ___ Noon ___ Midnight __________________________ Receipt of a signed copy of this Counter Offer is acknowledged.
_____________________________________ _______________________________________ SELLER /BUYER SIGNATURE DATE SELLER /BUYER SIGNATURE DATE
_____________________________________ _____________________________________ SELLERS SOCIAL SECURITY #/FEDERAL I.D.SELLERS SOCIAL SECURITY #/FEDERAL I.D.
Once you have an accepted offer, it is time to bring your investor in to do his inspection. I go into detail about how to find investors for your properties in Chapter 6. We are now going to discuss inspections and inspection amendments.
Date: __________________________ Property Address: ______________________________________________________________________________ A. Buyer agrees to: (Initial one) 1. ____________ Waive inspection(s) and rely upon the condition of the Property based upon Buyers own examination. 2. ____________ Accept the Property in the condition reported in the Inspection Report(s). 3. ____X________ Accept the Property provided Seller corrects the following condition(s): ________________________________________________________________________ 1. Seller To Replace Faulty Furnace Before Closing. __________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ______ on or before ____________________________________________ ___ A.M. ___ P.M. _______________________________, or within ___________ days after ______________________, whichever is later, and the Buyer shall have the right to inspect and accept Sellers repairs ___ prior to closing. 4. __________ Other: _____________________________________________ MY NOTES: Once you have had a competent inspector look at your property, you will know if there are any MAJOR DEFECTS that you weren't aware of before.
If there are and you are unable or unwilling to fix them, you must ask the Seller to fix them. Give them enough time to respond and to get a bid on the work if necessary.
Just because you write on this amendment that they have to respond in 2 hours or you are going to back out of the deal doesn't necessarily mean that a judge would agree with you.
You have to act in good faith and be reasonable.
__X__ A complete copy ___ Appropriate page(s) of the Inspection Report is/are attached (including lead-based paint and/or radon, if applicable).
MY NOTES: If you used a professional inspector, show the Seller the paperwork that proves your position. He may have thought
that old furnace was still working fine. Written documentation is a real persuader sometimes. B. If a Response is required, the Seller shall respond on or before ______________________________________________________________. C. After compliance with selected item above, the Buyer releases the Seller named in Purchase Agreement from any and all liability relating to any non-latent or disclosed latent defect or deficiency affecting the Property; provided however, this release shall not apply to any known but undisclosed latent defect(s) or misrepresentations affecting the Property, which shall survive the closing. D. This inspection Response may be executed simultaneously or in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. The parties agree that this Response may be transmitted between them by facsimile machine. The parties intend that faxed signatures constitute original signatures and are binding on the parties. The original document shall be promptly delivered, if requested.
____________________________________ _______________________________________ BUYERS SIGNATURE DATE BUYERS SIGNATURE DATE
1. ____________ Seller agrees to correct condition(s) in Item #3 ___ prior to closing the transaction or ___ within _______ days after _______________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 2. ____ Seller is unable or unwilling to make the corrections requested by Buyer. 3. ____ Seller agrees to correct the following condition(s) at Sellers expense ___ prior to closing the transaction or ___ within ________ days after ______________________________________________
B. If Item #3 and/or Item #4 is/are selected, the Buyer shall reply on or before _________________________ ____ A.M. ____ P.M. ____ Noon ____________________________________. MY NOTES: The Seller can counter offer the inspection response also. It works just like the original negotiations.
_________________________________ _______________________________________ SELLERS SIGNATURE DATE SELLERS SIGNATURE DATE
BUYERS INSPECTION REPLY # ____________ A. Buyer replies as follows: (Initial one)
1. ___ Buyer accepts Sellers Response. 2. ___ Buyer rejects Sellers Response, deems the Purchase Agreement void and requests that the earnest money be returned.
________________________________ ________________________________________ BUYERS SIGNATURE DATE BUYERS SIGNATURE DATE
________________________________ ________________________________________ PRINTED PRINTED MY NOTES: If the Seller counters, the Buyer must accept the counter by signing above or counter again. You can also ask for your earnest money back if you want out of the deal and the Seller is unable or unwilling to remedy the problem.
The following is a BLAK "Inspection Response" Form that you can fill out and use
Date: __________________________ Property Address: ______________________________________________________________________________ A. Buyer agrees to: (Initial one) 1. ____________ Waive inspection(s) and rely upon the condition of the Property based upon Buyers own examination. 2. ____________ Accept the Property in the condition reported in the Inspection Report(s). 3. ____________ Accept the Property provided Seller corrects the following condition(s): ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________ on or before ____________________________________________ ___ A.M. ___ P.M. _______________________________, or within ___________ days after ______________________ , whichever is later, and the Buyer shall have the right to inspect and accept Sellers repairs ___ prior to closing. 4. __________ Other: _____________________________________________
____ A complete copy ___ Appropriate page(s) of the Inspection Report is/are attached (including lead-based paint and/or radon, if applicable).
B. If a Response is required, the Seller shall respond on or before ______________________________________________________________. C. After compliance with selected item above, the Buyer releases the Seller named in Purchase Agreement from any and all liability relating to any non-latent or disclosed latent defect or deficiency affecting the Property; provided however, this release shall not apply to any known but undisclosed latent defect(s) or misrepresentations affecting the Property, which shall survive the closing. D. This inspection Response may be executed simultaneously or in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. The parties agree that this Response may be transmitted between them by facsimile machine. The parties intend that faxed signatures constitute original signatures and are binding on the parties. The original document shall be promptly delivered, if requested
____________________________________ _______________________________________ BUYERS SIGNATURE DATE BUYERS SIGNATURE DATE
1. ____________ Seller agrees to correct condition(s) in Item #3 ___ prior to closing the transaction or ___ within _______ days after _______________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 5. ____ Seller is unable or unwilling to make the corrections requested by Buyer. 6. ____ Seller agrees to correct the following condition(s) at Sellers expense ___ prior to closing the transaction or ___ within ________ days after ______________________________________________
B. If Item #3 and/or Item #4 is/are selected, the Buyer shall reply on or before _________________________ ____ A.M. ____ P.M. ____ Noon ____________________________________.
_________________________________ _______________________________________ SELLERS SIGNATURE DATE SELLERS SIGNATURE DATE
BUYERS INSPECTION REPLY # ____________ A. Buyer replies as follows: (Initial one)
1. ___ Buyer accepts Sellers Response. 2. ___ Buyer rejects Sellers Response, deems the Purchase Agreement void and requests that the earnest money be returned.
________________________________ ________________________________________ BUYERS SIGNATURE DATE BUYERS SIGNATURE DATE
Finding Investors To Buy Your Properties They Will Buy From You Over and Over!
This is so easy, you'll laugh with delight when the phone calls start coming in.
This next step in the process is inexpensive and easy do. All it takes is a simple classified ad. I suggest you run it in your Sunday real estate section under "investment property." The ad should cost 15-25 dollars.
Ad #1
Fixer Upper Homes with 20% Equity- You need 10% down. Must Qualify - 222-2222
This type of ad will bring you investors who have good credit and enough money for a 10% down payment.
You can go to just about any mortgage company in town and get a non-owner occupied, investment loan for 10% down. The borrower must have good credit and at least two years in the same line of work. Income doesn't matter as long as you can get a lease on the property before you close.
This is the type of investor who wants to fix up the property and resell it at a profit. There are lots of people who want to buy a fixer upper, but don't know how to go about finding them and financing them.
Ad #2
Zero down rental homes - No qualifying necessary. Positive cash flow 222-2222
This ad will get you so many calls, you might want to leave out the "no qualifying" part. This type of investor will purchase any of the homes that you buy subject to the existing mortgages.
The downside to selling to this type of Buyer is you don't get your money up front. You will have to carry a second mortgage on the property.
The upside is that you can sell it for more than it's worth, typically 10% above market value.
So, if you have a home worth $100,000, you purchase it from the Seller by taking over the current mortgage for $100,000 and then you sell it to the investor for $110,000.
You take back a second mortgage for $10,000 and charge the Buyer 11% simple interest with a balloon payment due in 3 years.
That means the they will have to pay you $1100 per year (or $91.67 per month) for three years and then pay you $10,000 at the end of the three year period.
Rather than doing a second mortgage, you can lease option this property. It doesn't matter if the Buyer is an investor or someone who wants to occupy the home.
In some ways an owner occupant may be a better risk with a lease option because it is where they live. I am going to get into lease options in detail in section two, Chapter 13.
Ad #3
$3000 Down, Rental Homes No Qualifying Necessary Positive Cash Flow 222-2222
The Buyer who responds to this ad is very much like the Buyer who responded to Ad #2, except for one vital thing... he has $3,000 to give you at closing.
You will do the deal exactly the same as above except, instead of taking a second mortgage as your profit, you take $3,000 cash in your pocket.
With these three different types of ads, we are dealing with three different types of investment real estate Buyers.
1. An investor who has money for a down payment and has good credit, but wants to get a good deal.
2. An investor who has no money for a down payment and bad credit and doesn't care what kind of deal he gets as long as he gets a piece of real estate.
3. An investor who has some money for a down payment, but may have credit problems.
Each of these investors can make money with the properties you sell them, if they pay attention and do their best to keep them rented.
When you get calls on these ads, explain the type of program you have available. Tell them you find properties to resell to investors.
Explain to them how you make your money. With ad number 1 and 3, you charge a flat $3,000. With ad number two you are charging more but carrying a note for your profit.
If they are interested in working with you, put their name on your list and call them as soon as you get a property that fits their criteria. I think you'll be surprised at how easy it is to get them to purchase these properties from you.
PreQualifying The Investor
Use the information located in Chapter 15 to qualify your investor. I have included an "Investor Qualification Form" that will help you remember the right questions to ask.
Investor Agreement Form
The following form is an Assignment agreement between you and the Investor. You need to have this agreement in order to get paid and to release yourself of the contract.
Assignment of Real Estate Contract
This Assignment of Contract ("Assignment") is made on (date)______________, by and between _________________________ ("Assignor"), and ____________________________("Assignee").
Assignor is a party to the "Real Estate Purchase Agreement" dated, ___________________ with (Seller) ____________________________, regarding property located at: __________________ ________________________ in the city of _____________________, in the State of _________. (A copy of which is attached hereto (the "Contract").
Assignor now desires to assign its interest in the Contract to Assignee, which Assignee desires to acquire.
NOW, THEREFORE, for the sum of $ _______________, to be paid by the Assignee to the Assignor and in consideration of the mutual agreements of the parties, it is agreed:
1. Effective Date. Assignment of Assignor's rights in the Contract and other benefits and obligations in this Assignment are effective (date) _______________________.
2. Assignment. Assignor is a party to the Contract. Assignor does hereby grant, bargain, sell, convey, transfer and assign to Assignee all of Assignor's interest in the Contract.
3. Assumption by Assignee. Assignee assumes and agrees to perform all of the duties of Assignor in the Contract, which accrue and become due on or after the effective date. Assignee will indemnify, protect, defend and hold Assignor harmless from and against any and all loss, cost, damage and expense arising out of or in any way related to a breach or default of the Contract after the effective date. Assignor will indemnify, protect, defend and hold Assignee harmless from and against any and all loss, cost, damage and expense arising out of or in any way related to a breach or default of the Contract on or before the effective date.
__________________________________________ Assignor Date
Systematize your business so you can repeat this process every single day... effortlessly!
Here is the step-by-step system that shows you how to put it all together.
I am going to try making this a simple as possible with an easy to follow list of actions you must take to succeed.
This system does not work by itself... you must be involved and you must pay attention.
1. Run two classified ads in the Sunday real estate section. (see Chapter 2) a. One ad is to find Sellers. b. One ad is to find investor Buyers.
2. Have 15-20 small yellow corrugated plastic signs printed with "I buy homes for cash" and your phone number.
3. Staple the signs on telephone poles at major intersections all over town.
Note: make sure you have an answering machine to capture any calls that come in. Don't let your twelve year old kid answer the phone... it really weakens your credibility. You can get a separate voicemail from the phone company for about $10 a month.
4. When Sellers answer your ad, ask them the questions from the "property profile" form (Chapter 2). 5. If the property fits the profile you are looking for, make an appointment with the Seller to inspect the real estate. Use the inspection form to note any obvious problems (See the form in Chapter 3).
6. At the same time you're getting calls from Sellers, you will also be getting calls from investor Buyers. Keep running the Buyer ads until you get five or six investors who you think our serious Buyers. Make sure you get several in each "ad type" category. Use the "Investor Qualifying Sheet" to qualify the Investors (see Chapter 6 for a copy of the form).
7. If you like the property and you like the deal, write an offer, meet with the Seller and present the offer in person (use the contracts in Chapter 5).
Note: It is always advisable to have an attorney review your contracts before you present your offer. Make sure you are complying with local laws.
8. Have a full home inspection done by a qualified professional inspector (unless you are sure you are competent to do it yourself). If there are any major defects, you must decide whether or not to continue with the transaction.
If you think the defect is too costly, ask the Seller to repair it. If they repair it, great, you've solved the problem. If they don't want to repair it, you can back out of the transaction.
Note: Often, the main reason the Seller is giving you his property for less than market value, is because it is in less than market condition. He is not expecting you to beat him up over minor or cosmetic repairs.
9. Once you have an accepted purchase agreement with the Seller and are satisfied with the inspection, call your investors and tell them you have a property for them to look at. Don't call just one, call all of them and let them know you are calling all of your investors.
You want them to understand that you are selling this property on a first come - first served basis. Create an urgency to go look at the property today. Give the investors a copy of your home inspection. They need to know what the defects are in the property... if any.
Note: Never tell your investors about a property until you have secured a signed and accepted purchase agreement. You don't want them by passing over your head and purchasing the home directly from the Seller.
10. As soon as one of your investors shows interest in your property, meet with them to write up the Investor Agreement (Chapter 6).
11. The closing should take no more than 30 days if the investor is paying cash or getting a new loan. If your investor is simply taking title subject to the existing mortgages, you can close the property in a matter of 2- 5 days.
12. Get your money and do it again, and again, and again...
That's it!
Here are a couple of things to keep in mind as you go through this process.
1. Never stop running your ads. It's easy to get discouraged if you run an ad two or three weeks in a row and get no response. Hang in there.
2. Look at the ads in the paper that are running every week and copy them. If an investor runs the same ad over and over again, he is probably getting a decent response.
Just remember, if it costs you $200-$300 in classified ads over a 2 or 3 month period to find your first property and you make $3,000 gross profit, you have just made ten times your investment! Any business would be thrilled to have that kind of return.
The nice thing about this business is the more you do, the easier it is to get good deals. Before you know it, people will be calling you with their homes to sell.
The reason investors are willing to pay you to find property for them is because they don't know how to do it themselves.
They may have run an ad once or twice and didn't like the response they got, so they stopped. Don't give up... keep trying. This program really works if you set about it in a methodical, systematic way.
There Are No Failures In Business, Only Tests.
Everything you do is a test. The information I am giving you here is a proven guide that has worked many times in the past. You may have to tweak it a bit, but it will work for you too.
Section 2
Chapter 8
Technique #2 - Monthly Income... Replace Your Income With Rental Property And Quit Your Job!
This chapter will teach you how purchase homes with zero down payment and no credit check.
You can rent or lease option these homes and make a healthy monthly income that will continue to grow until you die.
Once you own these homes, you can also sell them for a profit as I described in Section One, Chapter 6.
You are now going to learn how to purchase homes "subject to" the existing loans, mortgages or trust deeds.
What this means is, you're going to take over the existing loans of a property without "assuming" the loans with the lenders. This means you don't have to qualify for the loans to purchase the properties.
The biggest risk in purchasing a home using this method, is the fact that most mortgages and trust deeds have "due on sale clauses." A "due on sale clause" states that if the property is transferred or sold, the loan must be either paid off, or assumed.
Non-qualifying assumable loans have not existed since 1989. It is unlikely that you will find a property with a no qualifying assumable loan.
What the Seller is going to be doing is breaking the contract he has with his lender. It is not, I repeat, NOT illegal to break a contract. It can create a lawsuit between the lender and the Seller (borrower). The lender will not be going after you, they will be going after the Seller (their original Borrower). And I doubt that they would go after their Borrower. They would go after the home instead and file foreclosure proceedings.
In my experience, I have never seen the lender "call the loan due" and force a payoff by the original borrower. It is probably very unlikely that it will happen to you as long as the loan is paid up every month. Just make sure you write the contract with the clause that lets you monitor that the loan payments are being made.
I think it is preferable for you as the Buyer to make payments to the original lender yourself. This makes it possible for you to monitor the loan, insuring that all of the payments are being made in a timely in manner.
The Seller will also want to be comfortable that the payments are being made, so you may have to set up a notification process for him as well.
If the mortgage or trust deed holder does call the loan due, they would foreclose on the property (assuming you couldn't pay off the loan in full). This foreclosure would not be reported on your credit report. It is a risk the Seller is taking. All you would lose is any equity you might have in the property.
NOTE: Please keep in mind that I am not an attorney and my opinion is not the opinion of someone who has been trained in legal matters. If you have any questions about this process, please consult an attorney.
I did run into a situation once were the lender would not take the check with the new Buyer's name on it. They wanted a check directly from the borrower.
I've only seen this happen once.
You may question why any Seller would accept this type of transaction, because it does carry a bit of risk for them.
The reason is this. Normally, the only type of Seller who will accept this type of offer is someone who is sitting on a distressed property they can't sell any other way or pay off.
It is not at all unusual to see Sellers in a tight situation agree to this type of risk. After all, if you have to choose between the risk of foreclosure and the certainty of foreclosure, most intelligent people would take the risk.
I personally don't believe you are taking advantage of these Sellers. Instead, I believe you are helping them out of a jam they got themselves into, without your help.
Here is a possible scenario for this type of transaction.
You find a Seller who owns a home that is worth $100,000. He bought the house NEW, two years ago for $100,000 using a VA (Veteran's Administration) loan.
A VA loan requires no down payment and you can finance 100% of the value of the property. For this example, let's say the home did not appreciate in value.
His monthly payment, including taxes and insurance, is $956. The market rent for this home is $1100 per month.
If you buy it from him, take over the existing mortgage payment and rent it out, you will have a small monthly cash flow.
You will also be gaining equity as the loan is paid off, the rent goes up, and the value goes up with inflation. Not to mention the benefits of depreciation.
This technique is awesome.
It requires little or no money to implement, is very low risk, and these properties are fairly easy to find. One of the best sources is a home that is only two or three years old.
Most new construction homes are priced at a premium, just like new cars. In most of the United States, you must own an existing home for two years before you can sell it and have enough money to pay your Realtor fees and other expenses of selling.
With new construction, (since you paid a premium to purchase it) you might have to wait five years before you can sell and break even.
What this means is, if someone purchases a new home and decides to sell it before five years are up, they must come to closing with money to pay their Realtor and closing costs. Many people just aren't in a position to come up with $5,000 or $10,000 to sell their home.
This system will make you their hero.
Chapter 9
Finding Sellers Who Will Let You Buy Their Home With A Zero Down Payment And No Credit Check!
Purchasing a home subject to the existing mortgage.
Learn how to do it so you are protected and at the same time, maximize your profits.
Use all of the techniques in Chapter 2 to find these properties. Those methods will bring you many different types of Sellers in many different types of situations.
I am going to give you another classified ad (which you can also put on a sign and stick up in the areas you are interested).
The target market for this ad or sign is folks who can no longer pay their mortgages, who are considering foreclosure or bankruptcy.
Here's the ad.
Can't Pay Your Mortgage? Need Help? Call 222-2222
Or
Can't Pay Your Mortgage? I will make your payments
& save your credit. 222-2222
Or
Need Money To Pay Your Mortgage? Call 222-2222
These are great ads because they get attention. They fill the need and relieve the pain these Homeowners are feeling.
They are also ambiguous as to how you are going to fix the problem, so it creates curiosity. It makes them wonder, "Maybe this is something that we haven't heard about before."
Use the questionnaire ("Property Profile Sheet") in Chapter 2 to ask the Sellers questions about their home.
Qualify these homes and get as much information as possible before you go out and look at them. If they don't fit a profile you can use, don't waste your time driving all over the city just to avoid hurting the Seller's feelings.
If it doesn't work on paper, it sure won't work in reality.
Here are some things to look for with this type of property.
It doesn't matter if you pay full market value for the home. You can even pay a little more than market value and still make a killing if you can rent it for a little above the mortgage payment.
If the home has 2 mortgages on it and together they ad up to $100,000, you can take over the existing loans and have tenants make the payments for you.
Sometimes you will run into people who haven't made their payment in a few months. These still might be good properties.
You can either pay to bring them up to date with their payments, or you can show them how to negotiate with their bank to make partial payments to bring it up to date.
It is not very difficult to get a lender to cooperate with a borrower. They do not want to foreclose or do a "short sale" (where they settle for less than they are owed).
Most lenders have "Loss Mitigation" departments who handle this type of situation and have specific policies about how flexible they can be.
Just have the Borrower get on the phone and find out what the Lender will do. If they are 2 months behind in their payments and owe $2000 in payments and late fees in addition to the upcoming month's payment... ask the lender to spread out the $2000 payment over the next year.
They won't let you keep screwing the payments up, but if you act in good faith and make the payments on time from then on, the Lender will be content.
If you make things easy for the Seller by understanding their situation, empathizing with them and showing them how to get out of it, you will succeed in buying their house with zero down payment and no credit check!
Use the "Property Profile Form" from Chapter 2 to get all of the necessary information on the prospective property.
In Chapter 11, I am going to show you how to explain the deal to the Sellers and answer their objections.
Before I do that, I'm going to briefly cover inspections on this type of home.
Chapter 10
Inspection Tips
Many of these homes will be less than five years old so inspections will become less of an issue.
Here is the situation. In the United States, it takes an average of 2 years of waiting before a homeowner can sell the home they purchased, pay the Realtor fees, closing fees, and break even or make a profit on the sale.
So, if you buy a home today, you must wait 2 years before you can sell it and not lose money. This statistic is for existing homes.
If you buy NEW construction, you pay a premium for the home, just like buying a new car. It can take up to 5 years before you are able to resell new construction and break even on the sale.
What happens to people who originally buy their homes with little or no down payment?
They can't sell their home without coming to closing with a big chunk of change.
Take our $100,000 home example. Let's say they bought it 2 years ago for $100,000, have a Veterans Administration Zero Down Loan of $100,000 on the property and want to sell.
They call an agent, who tells them they can probably get $100,000 for their property. This is terrible news.
The Realtor charges 6-7% and closing costs will run about 1-3%. It looks like our Seller's have to come to closing with $10,000 to be able to sell their nice new home.
If they have to sell, but don't have the money (they didn't have it when they bought the house, why would they have it now?), you are their very best option.
My purpose for explaining all of this is, with this type of purchase, you will find a lot of newer construction. Newer construction is less likely to have inspection problems.
Do your inspections, but don't think for a minute these people are going to pay any money to fix their home up for you to buy it. Remember, they are in this fix because they don't have any money to begin with.
Make sure you use the "Inspection Form" I provided in Chapter 3.
Chapter 11
Making The Offer "Subject To" The Existing Loan.
(Step-by-Step Dialogue) Questions to ask, Answers to give. Smart ways to get the best price possible.
When you get calls on the ads and signs you have placed out there, use the "Property Profile Sheet" found in Chapter 2.
My approach is to ask the questions on the form. When you are the one asking the questions, you keep control of the conversation.
Don't start talking about Quit Claim Deeds and taking mortgages "Subject To" the existing loans. This will only scare them off.
They need to understand the process first and you need to know if it will work with their particular property. You can't know unless you have more information.
Here is how a phone call might go when they call on your ad:
You: Hello?
Seller: I saw your ad in the Sunday paper. Do you buy homes?
You: Yes, I do.
Seller: Well, I've got a nice home in Valley Creek Subdivision. The homes around here are listed for $105,000, but I'll sell mine for $100,000. All I need to do is pay off the mortagage.
NOTE: At this point you start asking the questions on the questionnaire. If the property and the situation sound like something that will work, make an appointment to go see it as soon as possible.
If the Seller asks how you buy (cash, loan, buying on contract), tell him that it depends on the property and you need to see it before you know for sure.
Get off the phone as soon as you get the appointment set.
The next script is for the visit at the home. The Seller is showing you his house and telling you about all his upgrades.
Seller: We used the heavy-duty nails in the roof and I spent last summer putting drywall and insulation in the garage. (It's not really this bad, but almost. Sellers seem to think that anything they have done to the property is a major improvement.)
You: The home looks very nice. How long after you sell before you can be out?
Seller: We're flexible, but we'd like 30 days to get out. I've got to be in Dallas with my new job in 6 weeks.
NOTE: Before I go on, I just want to remind you that you have already prequalified this Seller. You know he needs to sell. He has a loan that is as high as the value of the home. He can't afford to hire a Real Estate Agent and he's have difficulty making the payments.
You also know the home has the value he claims and you can rent it for more than the monthly mortgage payment.
By the way, if you are in Los Angeles or New York, or another place in the country where property values are high, you can still do this program. You can either have negative cash flow (not particularly attractive) or you can buy property out of town. It's not that big a deal to drive an hour if you want to make money.
You: I'll buy your home for the amount you owe on your mortgage. I'd like to assume the mortgages and just make payments like you are now.
Seller: That would be great.
NOTE: He thinks it's great because he thinks assuming the property will get him off the loan and he can go on his way without worrying about it again. Now is the time to help him understand the reality of his situation. True empathy for him is the only way you will help him make the right choice of letting you take over the property.
You: The way it works is like this. I take over the property "subject to" the existing mortgages. That means I will be making your payments in your place. It won't cost you anything to sell this way, like it would if you used a Realtor. The downside for you is the loans are still in your name. You won't have to make any payments. I'll be doing that, but the bank will still consider you the responsible party.
Seller: I would much rather sell it and just pay off the loan.
You: It doesn't make sense for me to do that. If the purchase price was substantially below market value, I wouldn't mind getting a new loan or selling it to one of my investor partners. Since you have to have full value for the property, I'd be nuts to buy it as an investor without something making the deal worthwhile for me. Does that make sense to you?
Seller: Sure, I guess. I was just hoping...
You: Has anyone else offered to buy your home?
Seller: Yes, I called those other "We Buy Homes" ads and another guy came out. He only offered me $85,000. I don't have $10 or $15 thousand to spend. The move to Dallas is going to be pretty expensive and I'm not working for the next 6 weeks.
You: You can rent the house out. Although being a landlord from out of town isn't a particularly pleasant thought.
Seller: I wouldn't want to be a landlord even if I was in town. My Aunt was a landlord and she hated it.
You: Well, what happens if you don't sell it?
Seller: I don't know. I guess the bank would take it back. I can't afford to make payments on it.
You: If I were to take it over, you'd deed the property to me and I'd be the one making the payments and I'd be the one renting it out. I don't mind being a landlord because it's what I do.
Your Job Is To Make Them Comfortable With You! If you were they, would you loan you $100,000?
This kind of dialogue can go on for a while. You just need to help the Seller see the situation clearly. If there is a better option for them, great. You go find another house. If there isn't a better option, they need you.
Don't pressure them... encourage them. If they are reasonable, they will decide in your direction. It is a good option for them as long as you hold up your end of the bargain. If they accept your proposal, you have their future credit rating in your hands.
Try to make them feel comfortable with who you are, your position, your trustworthiness, your ability to keep the property rented.
When they do accept your offer, sit down with them and fill out the "Quit Claim Deed." Prorate the mortgage payment from the day that they move out. Try to get them to stay in the home for 2-4 weeks.
During that time, put a sign in the yard and find a renter or a lease option Buyer. Your goal is to have the renter pay your first month payment.
Also remind them that interest is paid in arrears. Rent is paid in advance. That means the August 1st payment covers the interest from July 1st until July 31st.
If you take possession on August 1st, your first payment shouldn't be until September 1st. Of course, it's not
always going to work this way. Sometimes, they just won't have the money.
Do your best with what you've got.
Chapter 12
Contracts For This Section You can print these, fill them in, sign them and have valid sales and transfer contracts.
I know I sound like a broken record here, but...
Talk to an Attorney before you sign anything! I'm giving you the most accurate information I have, but I am NOT trained as legal counsel.
The first document is a "Quit Claim Deed." This is the transfer document to change ownership from the current owner to you. There is no warranty with a quit claim deed. There is no title insurance. It is possible that there are liens on the property that the Seller is not telling you about.
You can have a title company do a basic search for you or you can go down to the courthouse and look in the public records yourself.
The worst-case scenario is you keep the property for a few years and you finally discover that there was a judgement on the property from the time before you bought it.
Not likely, but possible. You would lose the property and any equity built up, but the lien does not transfer to you personally... it stays with the real estate. Do a judgement search to make sure it is clear.
Filling Out The Quit Claim Deed
Filling out the form is pretty straightforward. You need to do it in front of a Notary. Any stationary shop will have one for $10. Change the names on the form, Buyer and Seller, to the appropriate names.
After it is signed, hand carry it down to the county recorders office and pay the $5 to record the deed. The only people who will then have a stronger claim to the property will be the lenders (they would have a stronger claim than you even if you were on the loan).
Quitclaim Deed
This Quitclaim Deed made [Date]__________________, by ___________________ _____________________________ [Seller] ("Transferor") ____________________ _____________________________________________________[Seller's Address]
to: ___________________________________________________ [Buyer] ("Transferee") ___________________________________________________ [Buyer's Address]
Transferor, in consideration of One Dollar and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, remises, releases, and forever quitclaims to Transferee all of the interest of Transferor, if any, in an to that real property located in the County of ___________________________________ [Property County], and State of _______________________________ [Property State], and more certainly described as follows: ___________________________________ ____________________________________________ [Legal Description of Property]. To have and to hold, all and singular the described property, together with the tenements, hereditaments, and appurtenances belonging to such property, or in anywise appertaining, and the rents, issues, and profits of such property to Transferee, and Transferee's heirs and assigns forever.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Transferor has executed this Quitclaim Deed on the date first above written. ______________________________________ [Signature] Seller
Acknowledgment
State of ________________)
County of ______________)
On this _________________ [Date], before me personally appeared _________ _________________[Transferor], to me know to be the person described in and who executed the foregoing Quitclaim Deed and acknowledged to me that ________ __________________________[Transferor] executed the same as [His/Her] free act and deed.
______________________________ Notary Public
Chapter 13
Selling The Homes You Purchase To New Buyers Using The Lease Option Technique!
Here you will learn how you can get 5-10% more for the homes you sell AND get higher than market rent!
You will also learn how to get non-refundable lease option money from your tenants rather than a security deposit that you have to give back to them at the end of their lease.
Lease option money can pay for your vacancies if you know how to structure your contracts!
For those of you who aren't familiar with the process of Lease Option, here it is.
You grant a tenant the option to buy your property at a specific price and within a specific time period.
In exchange for the option to buy, the tenant pays a non- refundable lease option fee.
Often, a portion of their monthly payment and their lease option money will apply to their down payment when and if they purchase.
If they don't exercise their option to buy within the time period allotted, the option monies and any payments made toward the house are forfeited.
Surprisingly, I have found that only a small percentage of Lease Option buyers will actually the exercise the option.
Renting VS. Lease Option
There are advantages and disadvantages to both renting the properties you own and doing lease options.
The typical person who Lease Options a home, does so because they cannot figure out how to purchase any other way. This means that they probably have credit issues, time on the job issues, income issues or no down payment.
A typical renter, on the other hand, can be found with good credit and a stable job.
The quality of tenant you get is the only real advantage that I see with renters. Lease Options have some other real benefits.
First of all, you can get more monthly rent for a home that you sell with a Lease Option (typically 10% more than market). This 10% is what you would apply to the seller's down payment if they do buy, so you haven't lost anything in that area.
Instead of getting a refundable deposit (like you would get from a renter), you get non-refundable option money. I suggest charging about the same as you would charge for the deposit, typically 1 month's rent.
Since it is likely the tenant will never exercise their option, being able to keep the option fee will cover most of the cost of getting the property re-rented or leased after the current tenant moves out.
You can also sell the home for more than market value, typically 5%-10% more. If they do buy, it will be a good deal for you. If they don't buy, you just go out and find another tenant.
Another nice thing about Lease Options is you can usually get a longer lease. If the option has a 3-year term, you can get a lease for the same period. On the other hand, renters will usually only give you a one-year lease.
The longer the lease the better.
If a tenant wants to move out before their lease is up, they still owe you the balance of the lease. This protects you and puts you into a strong negotiating position. Any concession you make for them is your decision.
If someone wants to move out before his or her lease is up, here is what I suggest.
Make them continue to pay their rent until the new tenant moves in. They can either make it available to show before they move out or wait for you to rent it after they move out. Either way, you won't lose money, plus you get to keep the lease option deposit.
If you are in this situation with a tenant (not folks who are lease optioning), treat them the same way and give them their deposit back if they leave the home clean.
Treat people fairly, just like the old golden rule says, and it will benefit you in the long run.
One last benefit of Lease Options is when a tenant believes they are buying a home (rather than renting) they will treat it better. A homeowner is more likely to fix up a property to protect their investment.
Finding Buyers For Your Lease Option
This is not a difficult process. I would use two marketing systems... classified ads and yard signs.
They should both say something like this.
RENT TO BUY! 3 bd home w/huge yard $1200 month. Why rent when you can own? 222-2222
Use classifieds that are cheap. Local papers are often the best.
For your sign, I suggest buying a sturdy real estate agent metal frame and then buying some yellow corplast (corrugated plastic - a sign company will know what you are talking about). Write your message with a black marker. It doesn't have to be pretty. I think ugly may even be better.
When people call, use the qualifying sheet to find out what their situation is. You must decide if they are good choices for your home.
I also suggest doing a credit report on them just like you would any tenant. Tell them that credit is not the only factor that you are considering in your decision.
Setting Up A Lease Option
You need to use three of the forms in this book to make a Lease Option legal. You can find all of these forms in the Appendix.
Purchase Agreement Residential Lease Agreement Option To Purchase Property
Simply fill them out and cross-reference them. Use verbiage like, "This "form name" is part of a Lease Option Agreement. Also attached find, "name the other documents."
Lease Options are a fantastic tool in your real estate investment arsenal. Use them often and you will get long-term tenants that have an interest in keeping your property in good condition.
OPTION TO PURCHASE PROPERTY
Date:____________ This option to Purchase Property is entered into between____________________________________________ _______________________________________________________(Seller), located at __________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________and _________________________________________________________________________________(Buyer), located at _________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________ in consideration of and subject to the following terms and conditions.
1. GRAT OF OPTIO Seller grants and conveys to Buyer the exclusive and irrevocable option to purchase (the Option) the following real estate property (the Property) located in __________________________________City _____________________________________, State, and is legally described as: _____________________
2. OPTIO MOEY Buyer pays Seller the sum of ______________________________________________________ Dollars ($____________________________) (the Option Money), the receipt of which Seller acknowledges as consideration for the Option.
3. TERM, EXERCISE/OTICE A. TERM. Buyers right to exercise this Option shall commence on the above date and shall continue until __________________________________and including the _____________________________ day of __________________________________(the Option Period).
B. EXERCISE/NOTICE. This option shall be exercised by Buyers written notice to Seller of Buyers intention to purchase. The notice shall be deemed received when personally delivered, transmitted by facsimile, sent by express courier or sent by United States mail, postage prepaid, certified and return receipt requested, addressed to Seller or the designated agent of Seller, as the case may be, at the address set forth in this Option of any party prior to the expiration of the Option Period.
4. CLOSIG AD DISPOSITIO OF OPTIO MOEY If Buyer exercises this Option as described above, the transaction shall be closed in accordance with the terms and conditions of the attached Purchase Agreement. The Option Money shall be credited to the purchase price. If the Option is not exercised, then Seller shall retain the Option Money as consideration for the granting of this Option. 5. TERMS BIDIG All terms and conditions are included and no verbal agreements shall be binding.
6. ACKOWLEDGEMETS This Option may be executed simultaneously or in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. The parties agree that this document may be transmitted between them by facsimile machine. The parties intend that faxed signatures constitute original signatures and are binding on the parties. The original document shall be promptly executed and/or delivered, if requested.
___________________________________________ _______________________________________ BUYERS SIGNATURE DATE BUYERS SIGNATURE DATE
___________________________________________ _______________________________________ SELLERS SOCIAL SECURITY SELLERS SOCIAL SECURITY
Page 2 of 2
Chapter 14
Find Qualified Renters FAST!
Special techniques used by top management companies to obtain renters who have better credit and better jobs than you!
These are the people you want renting your homes in order to get top rental income for your properties.
What Is The Minimum Amount Of Work I Need To Do To Get My House Ready To Rent?
It makes good sense to try to buy homes that require the least amount of work, but sometimes the best deals are on homes that need some or a lot of attention before they are ready to rent.
Do not make the mistake of trying to rent a home if it is not in good condition. The only tenants who will be willing to rent it are messy and figure that since the house isn't in good condition anyway, it doesn't matter if they trash it.
So what does good condition mean?
INSIDE- The two best things you can do, that make the biggest difference for the least amount of money (in addition to a thorough cleaning), are carpet and paint.
Fresh carpet and paint make a house smell, feel, and look new inside. As for color, go with something neutral, nothing flashy.
For paint, use an off-white with a beige tint for a soft, cozy feel. Don't use gray - it gives a cold and drab feeling.
Never put up wallpaper, you will regret it down the road!
For carpet, go with something in the beige-brown range that is neutral, yet will hide some wear and tear. Use a low to mid range carpet with a higher end pad.
The nicer pad doesn't cost much more and it makes the cheaper carpet feel like a more expensive carpet. It also makes it last longer.
OUTSIDE- The idea here is to "gingerbread" the exterior to give it what is referred to as "curb appeal". The house should look nice and well kept. The kind of place people would want to live.
The first thing to do is paint the outside if it needs it. Again, you should use neutral colors that are common to other homes in the area.
As you buy more and more houses, you can save money and confusion by buying large cans of paint and painting all of your houses the same colors. It makes touch ups easy because you never have to try to remember what color you painted it!
Other items include, having a nice looking front door, mowing the grass, trimming the trees and bushes, planting flowers, etc.
Many people elect to do the repair work themselves, which may make sense in some cases. Never take time off from work to do the repairs if you have a high paying job.
It is silly to take off from a job where you make $30 per hour to do a repair job that you could hire someone to do for $10 per hour.
Often when you hire the job out, it gets done much faster, meaning less time making the payments on an empty house. Plus, when you hire it out to get done, you can write off the entire cost of the job.
When you do it yourself you can only write off the materials.
BUY-FIX-SELL- Many people like the idea of buying houses, fixing them up and then selling them, hoping to make a profit.
First, once you buy the property, you need to fix it up. Depending on the amount of work, this can take a couple of weeks or a couple of months.
During this period you are not only paying for the repairs, but also the mortgage payment. Once the repairs are done, it can take several more months to sell the house, which means more payments on a vacant house.
That is why I suggest you sell the property to an Investor who has the capital to carry the property.
Survival Strategies For Managing Your Houses
Good management is critical to being successful at investing in single-family homes. In fact, even if you do everything else properly, you've got big problems if you don't know how to manage the houses and the tenants.
Finding and buying the house is only part of the job. Paying attention to your properties is the rest of the battle.
Those who don't pay attention will go broke. I've seen it happen MANY times.
Repairs and vacancies are the two biggest problems you will face, and too much of either will turn a good investment into a bad one. Both of them are the result of bad management.
Record keeping is critical. Make sure you have everything for tax time and in case of an audit.
Fortunately, once you learn the "tricks of the trade, you can easily put together a system that will allow you to avoid most of the management nightmares.
Selecting tenants is, without a doubt, the most critical management decision you will make.
The profitability of your investment depends on it.
So how do you find good tenants?
You can turn the whole job over to a professional management company or do it yourself. The first option is certainly easier, but a professional will usually charge you around 10% of the gross rent every month.
This may be all right down the road when you have plenty of equity and a large cash flow to afford it, but investors starting out can be well served to learn the ropes themselves.
The two most frequently used methods to actually find the tenants are a classified ad in the newspaper and a FOR RENT sign in the yard. In most cases these methods will be adequate.
The Most Important Thing To Learn Is How To Screen And Qualify Your Tenants
You may be tempted to just take any renter who comes along without any background check because they "seem nice enough."
NEVER, EVER, EVER, MAKE THIS MISTAKE!
People are not always what they seem.
It is better to have a vacancy than a bad tenant.
The first step is to tell all prospective tenants that call you:
"Thanks for calling. The home is an excellent one and it is still available. I'd be happy to show it to you. First, I should tell you that we require a $35 non-refundable application fee and that all references and past landlords are checked, in addition to a credit report.
Prior to move in we require the first month's rent, a security deposit of $XX, and a refundable cleaning deposit of $75. Do you still want to see it??"
You will eliminate most all of the bad tenants right then and there. If they know you are going to check them out, and they have a lousy record, they won't even waste their time (or yours).
You may be thinking that by following these rules you might not get any tenants. NOT TRUE. Nice, sharp looking homes in good areas are always in demand.
Before you agree to meet a prospective tenant at the house, make sure to get their name and phone number.
Not only can you call them if you get delayed, but they are much more likely to show up (or call you if they can't make it) if they know you have their phone number.
Will These People Take Care Of Your Investment?
When you do meet a prospective tenant at the house, always be polite and respectful (this goes for on the phone as well).
Take a look at their car. If it is filthy and full of trash and half eaten hamburgers, that is probably how your house would end up looking if you rented to them.
Let them in and allow them to take a look for themselves, without you breathing down their neck. Don't say stupid things like "this is the kitchen".
You should casually mention any features or benefits that are not obvious. You need to let them know you are a serious investor, and you will make any necessary repairs promptly.
Strike up a conversation by asking questions such as:
"How long have you been in town?"
"Where do you live now?"
"Why are you moving?"
"How long of a lease are you looking for?"
"Where do you work?"
"How many of you would be occupying the home?"
Listen to how they answer these questions. If they say something like "We are moving because our last landlord was impossible to deal with," you may have cause for concern.
If they are sincerely interested, you'll know it. Don't try to oversell the place; you will only come across as desperate.
Ask if they want to fill out an application. If so, encourage them to fill it out on the spot and collect their $35 application fee. Tell them it usually takes less than 24 hours to process and you'll call them promptly either way.
If they prefer, give them an application to take with them and bring back to you later.
If you are managing a lot of houses, you may want to get an account with a credit bureau to run credit checks yourself. Otherwise, it makes sense to use an outside service. Many of these services will run the credit check, call and verify past landlords, employment, and bank accounts for around $18-35 (that's what you use the application fee for).
It's a good idea not to put too much weight on what their current landlord says about them. If they have been problem tenants, some landlords will lie and tell you they are great so you will take them, and they won't have to deal with them anymore.
It's best to go back to the landlord prior to the current one, if possible. Remember, people are creatures of habit. If they have been slobs or slow payers in the past, they most likely will continue to be.
If the prospective tenant checks out O.K. and you don't have any bad feelings or other concerns, call them and let them know the good news- they've got a house!
Arrange a meeting for them to sign the lease agreement and pay the required up front money.
Be careful not to call the security deposit the last month's rent, and do not make it equal to a months rent. If the
monthly rent is $1,000, make the security deposit $1,250 or so.
The reason is that at the end, when they are going into their last month, you don't want them to think they can just use the money they paid at the beginning.
Make them pay the rent for their last month at the beginning of that month as usual.
After they move out, if everything is all right, refund the security deposit. They will be a lot more careful and leave the house in better condition if they know their deposit is on the line.
Beware Of Scam Artists
If they are paying by check, never allow the tenant to move in prior to making sure that it clears.
If the check is drawn on a local bank, go there and cash it. If the move-in date is within a day or so, require them to give you cash, money order, or a cashier's check.
This meeting is also the time to let the tenant know what you expect of them, and what they can expect from you. You will avoid a lot of problems if you spell everything out in the lease agreement.
Since the goal is to find long-term tenants, you don't want to accept anything shorter than a one-year lease, longer if you can get it.
Every time a tenant moves out you have wear and tear on the house, a vacancy, cleaning, repairs, and the hassle of finding another tenant.
The best tenants are the ones who stay for years without ever causing you any problems. If you live in a
cold weather state where it may be difficult to find a tenant in December, January, or February, don't make the lease expire in those months.
Run the lease for 14 to 16 months if necessary and explain why to the tenant.
Make The Rules Crystal Clear... Then Stick To Them
Let the tenant know you are serious about your investments and you follow your policies strictly. As long as they follow the rules, the two of you will have a good relationship.
If they don't, you will swiftly take action to protect your investment. (Please note: Landlord-tenant laws vary widely from area to area. Before implementing any rules, make sure that you are not violating any local or state laws).
Be very clear that rent is due on the 1st of the month and if it's not in your hands by the 5th, you will immediately start eviction proceedings.
No matter how tempting, do not ever accept partial rent payments, as you may have to start the entire eviction process over, and it sets a bad precedent.
There is a $20 per day late fee after the 5th. There is a $30 charge for a returned check, and once they bounce a check, they must pay with money orders or a cashier's check from then on.
Do not allow them to sub-let the house. Put a limit on how many people can occupy the house (i.e. 2 adults and 2 children). They pay for any legal fees incurred in your having to go to court to enforce the agreement.
It is best not to allow pets, and put this in writing. If you do allow them, state how many, what type, and get a bigger security deposit.
Smoking should not be allowed in the house - PERIOD! It's just not worth it. It stinks up the house, turns the walls brown, soaks into everything, causes burn holes on the carpet and on the counters and sinks, not to mention the risk of burning the whole place down!
The tenant should be responsible for any repairs under $50 or so. You don't want the tenant to call you for every silly little repair. On the other hand, don't set this amount too high or the tenant will simply ignore the necessary repairs and let the house slowly go downhill.
Your Tenants Will Help You Maintain Your Investment
The tenant should be responsible for replacing the heating/cooling system filters, maintaining the lawn and landscaping, snow removal, etc.
The tenant must notify you immediately of any major problems needing repair.
Tell the tenant that any extra appliances like refrigerators and washers and dryers are there only as a convenience. They are strictly "AS-IS" and you take no responsibility to repair or replace them.
The key to avoiding vacancy and related problems is to have good, long-term tenants. Try to get them attached to the house. Encourage them to work on it. Offer to supply the materials if they want to do some worthwhile improvements to the place.
If you are paying for part of an improvement, never allow them to deduct it from the rent. Get copies of the receipts
and then write them a separate check. This is much better from a tax standpoint.
You can also tell them that when you are ready to sell it, you will give them the first right to buy it. This would be good for you because you would have no vacancies, real estate commissions, etc.
The goal is to create a psychological attachment between the house and the tenant. The tenant will take much better care of the house if they think it might be theirs someday. You should drive by the house frequently, and go inside to check at least every 3-4 months.
Try to make fairness your guide in dealing with the tenants. Enforce your rules strictly, but treat them with respect.
Once they know your position, they will be unlikely to break the rules because they know the consequences if they do.
Take Care Of Your Good Tenants And You Will Have Fewer Vacancies
You may want to reward good tenants by not raising their rent, or giving them $50 or $100 off of their rent in December. Often the little things can mean a lot.
Tenant Lease Application
The following form is an application that you must have filled out by everyone you intend to rent to.
You should use a service like the "National Tenant Network" to do a full credit report and criminal background check.
They are not in every state, but there are other companies like them everywhere.
They charge about $35 for a full check (which you make the person who is going to lease your property pay).
Their website is located at: www.ntnnet.com
Lease Application
Please fill out this application completely, sign at the bottom and submit funds for the application fee (which pays for your credit report(s)).
Name (primary applicant):
_______________________________
Social Security: __________________________
Name (secondary applicant):
______________________________
Social Security: __________________________
Current Home Address:_____________________
City: ____________________________________
State: ______________ Zip:______________
Phone (home): _____________________
Phone (his wk): _____________________
Phone (her wk): _____________________
Current Landlords Phone: _____________________
Previous Address: _______________________________
City, State and Zip: ______________________________
Employer (primary): ___________________________ Address: ____________________________________ City, State, Zip: _______________________________
Employer (secondary): _________________________ Address: ____________________________________ City, State, Zip: _______________________________
Gross Annual Income: $ ________________
Monthly Obligations: (not including rent) $ ________________
I hereby submit $ ____ for a credit report and criminal check. I give my permission for Prospective Landlord to have this information accessed by a credit information provider.
______________________________________________ Primary Signature Date
______________________________________________ Secondary Signature Date
LEASE AGREEMENT
This Residential House Lease Agreement ("Lease") is made and effective this __________________ [Date] by and between ________________________ ___________________[Landlord] ("Landlord") and ____________________ ________________________________[Tenant] ("Tenant," whether one or more). This Lease creates joint and several liabilities in the case of multiple Tenants.
1. PREMISES. Landlord hereby rents to Tenant and Tenant accepts in its present condition the house at following address: ______________________________________________________________ _____________________________________(Address of House) (the "House").
2. TERM. The term of this Lease shall start on ____________________[Move-in Date], and end on [Lease End Date]. In the event that Landlord is unable to provide the House on the exact start date, then Landlord shall provide the House as soon as possible, and Tenant's obligation to pay rent shall abate during such period. Tenant shall not be entitled to any other remedy for any delay in providing the House.
3. RENT. Tenant agrees to pay, without demand, to Landlord as rent for the House the sum of _______________________ [Monthly Rental Amount] per month in advance on the first day of each calendar month, at ______________________ [Address for Rent Payments], or at such other place as Landlord may designate. Landlord may impose a late payment charge of _________________ [Late Pay Charge] per day for any amount that is more than five (5) days late. Rent will be prorated if the term does not start on the first day of the month or for any other partial month of the term.
4. SECURITY DEPOSIT. Upon execution of this Lease, Tenant deposits with Landlord [Security Deposit Amount], as security for the performance by Tenant of the terms of this Lease to be returned to Tenant, following the full and faithful performance by Tenant of this Lease. In the event of damage to the House caused by Tenant or Tenant's family, agents or visitors, Landlord may use funds from the deposit to repair, but is not limited to this fund and Tenant remains liable.
5. QUIET ENJOYMENT. Landlord agrees that if Tenant timely pays the rent and performs the other obligations in this Lease, Landlord will not interfere with Tenant's peaceful use and enjoyment of the House.
6. USE OF PREMISES. A. The House shall be used and occupied by Tenant exclusively as a private single-family residence. Neither the House nor any part of the House or yard shall be used at any time during the term of this Lease for the purpose of carrying on any business, profession, or trade of any kind, or for any purpose other than as a private single-family residence.
B. Tenant shall comply with all the health and sanitary laws, ordinances, rules, and orders of appropriate governmental authorities and homes associations, if any, with respect to the House.
7. NUMBER OF OCCUPANTS. Tenant agrees that the House shall be occupied by no more than ______ [Total Number of Occupants] persons, including no more than ________ [Maximum Number of Children] under the age of eighteen (18) years, without the prior written consent of Landlord.
8. CONDITION OF PREMISES. A. Tenant agrees that Tenant has examined the House, including the grounds and all buildings and improvements, and that they are, at the time of this Lease, in good order, good repair, safe, clean, and tenantable condition.
B. Landlord and Tenant agree that a copy of the "Joint Inspection," the original of which is maintained by Landlord and a copy provided to Tenant, attached hereto reflects the condition of the House at the commencement of Tenant's occupancy.
[Include Lead Paint Disclosure If Required]
9. ASSIGNMENTS AND SUBLETTING. A. Tenant shall not assign this Lease, or sublet or grant any concession or license to use the House or any part of the House without Landlord's prior written consent.
B. Any assignment, subletting, concession, or license without the prior written consent of Landlord, or an assignment or subletting by operation of law, shall be void and, at Landlord's option, terminate this Lease.
10. ALTERATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS. A. Tenant shall make no alterations to the House or construct any building or make other improvements without the prior written consent of Landlord.
B. All alterations, changes, and improvements built, constructed, or placed on or around the House by Tenant, with the exception of fixtures properly removable without damage to the House and movable personal property, shall, unless otherwise provided by written agreement between Landlord and Tenant, be the property of Landlord and remain at the expiration or earlier termination of this Lease.
11. DAMAGE TO PREMISES. If the House, or any part of the House, shall be partially damaged by fire or other casualty not due to Tenant's negligence or willful act, or that of Tenant's family, agent, or visitor, there shall be an abatement of rent corresponding with the time during which, and the extent to which, the House is untenantable. If Landlord shall decide not to rebuild or repair, the term of this Lease shall end and the rent shall be prorated up to the time of the damage.
12. DANGEROUS MATERIALS. Tenant shall not keep or have on or around the House any article or thing of a dangerous, inflammable, or explosive character that might unreasonably increase the danger of fire on or around the House or that might be considered hazardous.
13. UTILITIES. Tenant shall be responsible for arranging and paying for all utility services required on the premises, except Landlord will provide: __________________________ [Services Provided by Landlord]. Tenant shall not default on any obligation to a utility provider for utility services at the House.
14. MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR. A. Tenant will, at Tenant's sole expense, keep and maintain the House and appurtenances in good and sanitary condition and repair during the term of this Lease. In particular, Tenant shall keep the fixtures in the House in good order and repair; keep the furnace clean; and keep the walks free from dirt and debris. Tenant shall, at Tenant's sole expense, make all required repairs to the plumbing, range, oven heating apparatus, electric and gas fixtures, other mechanical devices and systems, floors, ceilings and walls whenever damage to such items shall have resulted from Tenant's misuse, waste, or neglect, or that of the Tenant's family, agent, or visitor.
B. Tenant agrees that no signs shall be placed or painting done on or about the House by Tenant without the prior written consent of Landlord.
C. Tenant agrees to promptly notify Landlord in the event of any damage, defect or destruction of the House, or the failure of any of Landlord's appliances or mechanical systems, and except for repairs or replacements that are the obligation of Tenant pursuant to Subsection A above, Landlord shall use its best efforts to repair or replace such damaged or defective area, appliance or mechanical system.
15. ANIMALS. Tenant shall keep no domestic or other animals in or about the House without the prior written consent of Landlord.
16. RIGHT OF INSPECTION. Landlord and Landlord's agents shall have the right at all reasonable times during the term of this Lease and any renewal of this Lease to enter the House for the purpose of inspecting the premises and/or making any repairs to the premises or other item as required under this Lease.
17. DISPLAY OF SIGNS. During the last thirty (30) days of this Lease, Landlord or Landlord's agent may display "For Sale" or "For Rent" or "Vacancy" or similar signs on or about the House and enter to show the House to prospective purchasers or tenants.
18. HOLDOVER BY TENANT. Should Tenant remain in possession of the House with the consent of Landlord after the expiration of the Term of this Lease, a new tenancy from month to month shall be created which shall be subject to all the terms and conditions of this Lease, but shall be terminable on thirty (30) days by either party or longer notice if required by law. If Tenant holds over without Landlord's consent, Landlord is entitled to double rent, pro-rated per each day of the holdover, lasting until Tenant leaves the House.
19. SURRENDER OF PREMISES. At the expiration of the Lease, Tenant shall quit and surrender the House in as good a condition as it was at the commencement of this Lease, reasonable wear and tear and damages by the elements excepted.
20. FORFEITURE OF SECURITY DEPOSIT - DEFAULT. It is understood and agreed that Tenant shall not attempt to apply or deduct any portion of any security deposit from the last or any month's rent or use or apply any such security deposit at any time in lieu of payment of rent. If Tenant fails to comply, such security deposit shall be forfeited and Landlord may recover the rent due as if any such deposit had not been applied or deducted from the rent due. For the purposes of this paragraph, it shall be conclusively presumed that a
Tenant leaving the Premises while owing rent is making an attempted deduction of deposits. Furthermore, any deposit shall be held as a guarantee that Tenant shall perform the obligations of the Lease and shall be forfeited by the Tenant should Tenant breach any of the terms and conditions of this Lease. In the event of default, by Tenant, of any obligation in this Lease which is not cured by Tenant within fifteen (15) days notice from Landlord, then in addition to forfeiture of the Security Deposit, Landlord may pursue any other remedy available at law, equity or otherwise.
21. ABANDONMENT. If at any time during the term of this Lease, Tenant abandons the House or any of Tenant's personal property in or about the House, Landlord shall have the following rights: Landlord may, at Landlord's option, enter the House by any means without liability to Tenant for damages and may relet the House, for the whole or any part of the then unexpired term, and may receive and collect all rent payable by virtue of such reletting; Also, at Landlord's option, Landlord may hold Tenant liable for any difference between the rent that would have been payable under this Lease during the balance of the unexpired term, if this Lease had continued in force, and the net rent for such period realized by Landlord by means of such reletting. Landlord may also dispose of any of Tenant's abandoned personal property, as Landlord deems appropriate, without liability to Tenant. Landlord is entitled to presume that Tenant has abandoned the House if Tenant removes substantially all of Tenant's furnishings from the House, if the House is unoccupied for a period of two (2) consecutive weeks, or if it would otherwise be reasonable for Landlord to presume under the circumstances that the Tenant has abandoned the House.
22. SECURITY. Tenant acknowledges that Landlord does not provide a security alarm system or any security for the House or for Tenant and that any such alarm system or security service, if provided, is not represented or warranted to be complete in all respects or to protect Tenant from all harm. Tenant hereby releases Landlord from any loss, suit, claim, charge, damage or injury resulting from lack of security or failure of security.
23. SEVERABILITY. If any part or parts of this Lease shall be held unenforceable for any reason, the remainder of this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect.
24. INSURANCE. Tenant acknowledges that Landlord will not provide insurance coverage for Tenant's property, nor shall Landlord be responsible for any loss of Tenant's property, whether by theft, fire, acts of God, or otherwise.
25. BINDING EFFECT. The covenants and conditions contained in the Lease shall apply to and bind the heirs, legal representatives, and permitted assigns of the parties.
26. GOVERNING LAW. It is agreed that this Lease shall be governed by, construed, and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of ____________________________.
27. ENTIRE AGREEMENT. This Lease shall constitute the entire agreement between the parties. Any prior understanding or representation of any kind preceding the date of this Lease is hereby superseded. This Lease may be modified only by a writing signed by both Landlord and Tenant.
28. NOTICES. Any notice required or otherwise given pursuant to this Lease shall be in writing; hand delivered, mailed certified return receipt requested, postage prepaid, or delivered by overnight delivery service, if to Tenant, at the House and if to Landlord, at the address for payment of rent.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Lease to be executed the day and year first above written.
______________________________________________ Tenant Signature Date
______________________________________________ Tenant Signature Date
______________________________________________ Landlord Signature Date
Chapter 15
Financing The Sale Of Your Properties For A New Buyer Or Investor
This is the most important chapter in this book. If you understand financing, you will succeed as a real estate investor.
Structuring the deal so it is attractive to a Buyer is the easiest way to sell your properties fast and for top dollar.
A Behind The Scenes Look At The Banks!
Keep in mind that banks are in the business of loaning money in order to make lots of money.
Ironically, most banks lend money to people who really don't need it. Just try getting a loan from a bank when you desperately need it!
For the most part, banks are in the risk-avoidance business. Bankers are paid bonuses and get promotions based on the quality of the loans they approve. If they have even the slightest problem with a loan, it's usually a "no go" on your loan application.
You see, your banker will still get his/her paycheck every two weeks, whether they approve your loan or not! They are hesitant to approve a loan if they feel it can go bad down the road and cost them extra money.
Is it any mystery why banks are typically so hard to work with?
Investment homebuyers are advised to work with mortgage specialists or brokers who tend to be very motivated and work hard to help you. They are motivated because their income is based solely on commission.
If you don't get the loan, they don't get paid.
In this day and age, you have to be careful. Not all mortgage companies are on the up and up.
Make sure you get references and check with the consumer fraud division before giving them any application fees.
Getting your investors and buyers pre-approved shouldn't cost you any money or fees.
They will have to pay between $50 and $60 for a mortgage credit report. That money does not go to the lender. It should go to the credit research company.
If someone asks you to pay a pre-approval application fee in addition to this, get out of there and go elsewhere!
Be sure to read any contract or application, or have an attorney help you. We've seen everything, and we want to stress again that you can't be too careful!
For example, some brokers will take your application (and money) and tell you that you are locked into a certain rate, but when you go to closing, they pull out a mortgage with a higher rate or more points.
Unfortunately, this really happens. Not all the time, but enough to make one become somewhat leery!
This is a perfect example of where many novice real estate investors have been hit hard.
Make sure you get your investors and buyers pre- approved proceeding with a transaction, but know whom you're dealing with!
Preapproval Will Help You Negotiate Your Best Price.
Since the closing of the deal is not contingent upon financing when you are preapproved, the seller sees your offer the same way they would see a cash offer. It is a very strong position to negotiate from.
Sell Your Property Fast And For Top Dollar!
I've often heard it said that you make the most money in real estate on the day you buy your property.
Although I agree with this statement, you need to know that if you don't have a good selling strategy, you won't make money.
Here are few tips to help you sell property fast and for top dollar.
Make Your Properties Extremely Easy To Buy!
There two types of buyers that come in abundance
1. Buyers with bad credit. 2. Buyers with no money for a down payment.
You can help both of these types.
You will hear me repeat this over and over again. To be successful as a real estate investor, you must understand financing.
It is the "Be All" and "End All" of this business.
Zero down and low down payment financing is available from many sources. Go to the Sunday real estate section in your newspaper and look at the ads for Mortgage and Trust Deed Brokers.
Call five of these companies and I guarantee you will find at least one zero down, owner occupied, real estate financing program.
You'll also find mortgages and trust deeds available
for people with bad credit. Ask the loan originator exactly how they work.
These programs require the buyer to have a larger down payment, or the seller to carry a second mortgage.
One of the low down payment programs for people with reasonably good credit is FHA-HUD financing.
With this program, the buyer can purchase a home with 3% down payment and the seller can pay 100% of the buyers expenses to purchase the home.
Why do you want to pay the buyer's expenses? The answer is simple; it will make it possible for more people to buy your home. Build the buyer's costs into the sale price of the home.
Let's say you have a house you have rehabbed and want to sell for a profit.
You think the home is worth $100,000 maximum.
Put a sign in the front yard that says:
$3000 Down Payment $856 per month Call 222-1234
This sign will get noticed, especially since you wrote this message in black marker on a bright yellow sign. It doesn't matter if it's ugly, it does matter if it gets noticed.
There are other ways to make your property easy to buy
Lease it with an option to buy (I cover this method in Chapter 13).
Carry back a second mortgage or trust deed and then sell the mortgage at a discount to a private note buyer.
Sell it on contract with no qualifying necessary.
The easier you make your property to finance, the more likely you will get top dollar in the shortest possible time.
There is no need to under price your property just to move it quickly.
Buyers will gladly pay top dollar for a property that is easy for them to buy if they cannot qualify with conventional terms or down payments.
Financing Real Estate Investments
Real estate financing is amazingly complex. You've got Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Ginnie Mae. There are conforming loans and non-conforming loans.
There is A paper, B paper, C paper and D paper. You've also got credit bureau scoring (fico scores and beacon scores). You have LTV and CLTV. You've got front and back end debt ratios.
Lets discuss one small part of the real estate financing spectrum conforming, non-owner occupied loans.
Typically, these loans are used for purchasing rental properties with one to four units. Most lenders will not allow more than 90% loan to value. This means you need at least a 10% down payment (i.e. to purchase a $100,000 investment property, you or your investor would need $10,000).
To qualify for these mortgages, you must have good credit. This means you can't have any late payments, bankruptcies, judgments or liens in the past year. You must also have established a record of good credit.
You must have two years on the job. It doesn't have to be the same job, but it does have to be the same line of work.
If you're self-employed, you must be able to show two years of tax returns. They will average the last two years to determine your qualifying income.
It doesn't really matter what your income is when you buy rental property. The rental income of the property can qualify you.
Here's how it works
75% of the income from the property must be enough to pay the debt service on the loan.
So, if you have a property that has $1,000 per month income, the lender will allow $750 of it to apply toward the payments on the loan.
They figure the other 25% will go to cover vacancies and repairs. If the payment is less than $750, you do not need additional income to qualify for the loan.
But, what if the debt service (loan payment) is $800 per month? Your income must be able to support $50 per month.
Here's how the bank determines whether or not your income can support a particular payment.
The lender uses front and back and debt ratios
The back end ratio is what matters most. Back end ratios are the total amount of revolving debt the lender will allow you to have. The back end ratio should be 41% (or less) of your gross monthly income (income before taxes).
It's really not as hard as it sounds.
To figure your back end ratio, simply take your gross monthly income for a particular month and multiply by .41. If you make $2500 per month, your back end ratio would be 2500 X .41 = $1025.
So, if you have a house payment (your personal residence) of $700 and a car payment of $200 and a Visa Card payment of $50, that totals $950.
If your total back end ratio is $1,025, subtract $950 and you will find that you qualify for an additional $175.
If your income ratios look like this, you are going to need a lease, or intent to lease, on the rental property you purchase.
Don't be too concerned if you don't fit into the guidelines of these loan programs.
These are the qualifying terms that Investors and Buyers of your properties will need if they are going to qualify for conventional financing.
Investor & Home Buyer Qualifying Form
Use the form on the following page to qualify the investors and buyers who respond to your ads. This chapter has given you all thats necessary to understand WHY you are asking the questions indicated on this form.
If they fit the profile as an Investor Buyer or a Home Buyer (owner occupant), have them get PRE-Qualified with a competent lender.
The lender will be able to pull their credit report and verify their debt and income.''
Don't let yourself get into a transaction only to find out that your buyer doesn't qualify for the loan!
Investor & Home Buyer Qualifying Form
CREDIT HISTORY
Do you have good credit?
Bankruptcy more than 2 years discharged?
Any late payments in last 12 months?
If no established credit, do you have an apartment lease in your name with cancelled checks showing on-time payments?
DOWN PAYMENT
How much money do you have for a down payment?
TIME ON JOB
Do you have 2 years in your current line of work.
If just out of school, are you performing the job for which you trained in school?
If self-employed, do you have 2 years of Tax Returns showing consistent or growing income? Average the past 2 years for qualifying income.
INCOME
What is your gross annual income?
28% of gross? (front end ratio)
41% of gross? (back end ratio)
Income of the subject property? (This is something you will already know)
75% of the subject property's income (is it enough to cover debt service?)
TYPE OF PROPERTY THEY WANT
What type of income property are you looking for?
Do you want to be put on my investor list to be notified when I find a suitable property?
IF THEY FIT THE PROFILE YOU NEED
Name:
Address:
Phone (wk):
Phone (hm):
Email:
How you found this lead?
Date you added this lead to list?
Chapter 16
Putting It All Together - A Step-by-Step Guide To Success For SECTION 2
This chapter helps you understand what to do first, what to do second, what to do third... and so on.
You will discover the simple steps to follow for true success in this business.
I find that most "business opportunity" type books are so unclear on how to actually proceed that no one is able to implement them. This chapter changes all of that.
I am going to make this a simple as possible, with an easy to follow list of actions you must take to succeed.
This does not work by itself... you must be involved and you must pay attention.
1. Run two classified ads in the Sunday real estate section (see Chapter 9). a. One is to find Sellers. b. The other is to find investor Buyers.
2. Have 15-20 small yellow corrugated plastic signs printed with "I buy homes for cash" and your phone number.
3. Staple the signs on telephone poles at major intersections all over town.
Note: Make sure you have an answering machine to capture any calls that come in. Don't let your twelve year old kid answer the phone... it really weakens your
credibility. You can get a separate voicemail from the phone company for about $10 a month.
4. When Sellers answer your ad, ask the questions from the "property profile" form (Chapter 2).
5. If the property fits the profile you are looking for, make an appointment with the Seller to inspect it. Use the inspection form to note any obvious problems (see the form in Chapter 3).
6. While you're getting calls from Sellers, you will also be getting calls from investors (Buyers). Keep running the Buyer ads until you get five or six investors who you think our serious. Make sure you get several in each "ad type" category. Use the "Investor Qualifying Sheet" to qualify the Investors (see Chapter 11 for a copy of the form).
7. If you like the property and you like the deal, write an offer, meet with the Seller and present the offer in person (use the contracts in Chapter 5).
Note: It is always advisable to have an attorney review your contracts before you present your offer. Make sure you are complying with any local laws.
8. Have a complete home inspection done by a qualified professional inspector (unless you are sure you are competent to do it yourself). If there are any major defects, you must decide whether or not to continue with the transaction.
If you think the defect is too costly, ask the Seller to repair it. If they repair it, great, you've solved the problem. If they don't want to repair it, you can back out of the transaction.
Note: Often, the main reason the Seller is giving you his property for less than market value, is because it is in
less than market condition. He is not expecting you to beat him up over minor or cosmetic repairs.
9. NOW YOU HAVE THREE OPTIONS
Sell to a Owner Occupant Buyer using the Lease Option technique (Chapter 13)
Rent the property using the techniques in Chapter 14
Sell to an Investor and make immediate cash
Sell to an Owner Occupant Buyer Using The Lease Option Technique
Make sure the home is clean and tidy. Put the sign in the yard and run the ads (as suggested in Chapter 13). Qualify your buyers and show the home.
Always get your money in the form of a cashiers check, or give yourself 2 weeks to allow a personal check to clear BEFORE you allow the tenant/buyer to move in.
Rent The Property
Use the techniques in Chapter 14 to get the property rented. Run the ads and place the sign in the yard. Try to get the home rented BEFORE you start making payments
Sell to an Investor and make immediate cash
Once you have an accepted purchase agreement with the Seller and are satisfied with the inspection, call your investors and tell them you have a property for them to look at. Don't call just one, call all of them and let them know you are calling all of your investors.
You want them to understand that you are selling this property on the first come first serve basis. Create an urgency to go look at the property today. Give the investors a copy of your home inspection. They need to know what the defects are in the property, if any.
Note: Never tell your investors about a property until you have secured a signed and accepted purchase agreement. You don't want them by-passing you and purchasing the home directly from the Seller.
10. As soon as one of your investors shows interest in your property, meet with them to write up the Investor Agreement (Chapter 6).
11. The closing should take no more than 30 days if the investor is paying cash or getting a new loan. If your investor is simply taking title subject to the existing mortgages, you can close the property in as little as 2-5 days.
12. Get your money and do it again, and again, and again...
That's it!
There are a couple of things to keep in mind as you go through this process. Never stop running your ads. It's easy to get discouraged if you run them two or three weeks in a row and get no response. Hang in there.
Look at the ads in the paper that are running every week and copy them. If an investor runs the same ad over and over, he is probably getting a decent response.
Just remember, if it costs you $200-$300 in classified ads over a 2 or 3 month period to find your first property and you make $3,000 gross profit, you have
just made ten times your investment! Any business would be thrilled to have that kind of return.
The nice thing about this business is the more you do, the easier it is to get good deals. Before you know it, people will be calling you with their homes to sell.
The reason investors are willing to pay you to find property for them is because they don't know how to do it themselves.
They may have run an ad once or twice and didn't like the response they got, so they gave up. Don't give up... keep trying. This program really works if you set about it in a methodical, systematic way.
Once Again....
There Are No Failures In Business, Only Tests.
Everything you do is a test. The information I am giving you is a proven guide that has worked many times in the past. You may have to tweak it a bit, but it will work for you too.
***** UPDATE SECTION *****
Chapter 17 Using The Internet To Get Highly Motivated Sellers To Call You
This updated chapter will show you a new technique my coaching students and I have been working on over the past months.
It is the most powerful tool for real estate investors I have ever seen and is designed to help you find motivated Sellers of great real estate.
Motivated Sellers mean GREAT DEALS for you as the Investor.
It also means GREAT FINANCING TERMS.
To me, "great deals" means real estate that is substantially under market value.
"Great financing terms" means the properties are available with zero down payment and no credit check.
Remember, there are only two types of real estate transactions that make sense for you as an investor.
They are:
1. Properties substantially Under Market Value, or... 2. Available On Terms At Market Price Or Below.
If they don't fit either of these criteria... don't waste your time.
If you want to buy real estate investments with no risk to your credit or pocketbook, you need to buy with Seller financing. That is what this whole book has been about.
Even if you have money for down payments and good credit, I still suggest you start with this type of deal.
The reason is, It is VERY Safe
I have coaching clients who are millionaires. I have a doctor who makes $400,000 a year in his practice. I have an Internet businessman who sold his company for a boatload of money.
I tell them the very same thing I tell my clients who have no money, no job and bad credit. The more you have to start with, the more you have to lose.
Don't risk losing everything because you are a greenhorn investor.
I speak from experience, because that is exactly what happened to me. I built a huge real estate business ($20 million in assets in the first 3 years) and then I lost it all. It wasn't *all* my fault, the market dropped 30% in Los Angeles (where I was living and investing in 1992).
If I had known what I know today, I wouldn't have fallen into that big hole. I would have invested in smarter, safer deals. Maybe I wouldn't have built such a big business. I would have built a much more stable business.
The reason there is so little risk with Seller financing is because the loans are not in your name, so you never risk a ding on your credit report. The other reason is you have no money into the deal, so you have no money to lose. The most you can lose is your time.
The negative part of Seller financed deals is they typically make you less money per deal than some conventional
deals (like Sheriff Sales - which I cover in detail in Week 11 of the 26 Week Coaching Course).
But you have to start somewhere, and you need to build a solid foundation you can grow on. Once you learn how to do the "virtually-no-risk" deals with Seller financing, you can move on with confidence to other types of investing.
So... whether you are rich or poor, whether you have good credit or bad... I suggest that you start your investing business with Seller financed property.
BUT... as Ive said before,
The biggest problem with Seller financing is...
Finding Sellers Who Will Do It!
If you have bad credit and no income, there are *no* conventional lenders that I know of that will loan 100% of the purchase price of an investment property. There are some hard money guys that come pretty close, but it's still not zero down. (I cover hard-money lenders in Week 19 of the 6 Month Coaching Course.)
The big trick is finding Sellers who will sell to you with this type of financing. A big portion of this book shows you exactly how to do just that... step-by-step.
The property does not have to be a fixer (although I've made good money on fixer upper homes) and you can take full title using "subject to" (although it may be in your best interest to take title in some other manner). Ive shown you how to make this decision in a previous chapter.
My system is all about finding the Sellers who will accept these deals as their best option, sellers who have high motivation and few choices. You don't have to push them
into something that is against their best interests. You will be their best choice or they will take another route.
There are more motivated Sellers out there than you may think and they are not that difficult to find, but, as Ive said before, you won't find them in the MLS or the Sunday paper. You must advertise for them and know how to present your offer in a coherent, viable manner.
That is where having your own Web page comes in.
You can use the one I have created or you can create your own.
With a powerful web page like the one I have created, your advertising will be 33% more effective (based on tests that I have performed).
If you use a web site for potential Sellers to go and read about your program, you will get more leads, more SELLERS.
You can get 33% more calls (or more) on your ads, your flyers, your signs, your billboards, your business cards... on any type of advertising that you do.
That means that it will cost 1/3 LESS to find a motivated Seller! Imagine what this will do to your bottom line profit.
Here Is How It Works...
One of the first things I tell you to do in the "Step-by-Step" chapter is to run some classified ads and have some signs made.
Here is an example of a Seller ad.
I Will Make An Offer On Your Home In 24 Hours! Go To: www.WeWillBuy.com/1 Or Call: 317-598-1220
My tests show that 3 to 5 people will go to the web site for every one who calls your phone number.
That means if you don't have a web site similar to this, you will only get 66% of your Seller leads.
When they go to the web address in your ad, this is the page they will see (click here to see the page or go to: www.wewillbuy.com/1).
This page is designed to give them enough information about how you work to build curiosity and credibility.
But the main purpose of the page is to get them to click on the "submission page" and give you the information on the house they have for sale.
Click here to see the "submission page" or go to: www.wewillbuy.com/offer.html
When they fill out the information on the submission page and click on the "submit" button at the bottom of the page, the information they have entered will be sent to you and the Seller will get an autoresponse message thanking them for the submission.
Why don't you go to the submission page now and fill out the form. Type in your real name and real email address and type "test" into all of the other form fields.
When you hit the "submit" button, you will be sent the "thank you for submitting" email that a Seller would receive if they had filled out the form. Make sure to put in your real email address when you fill out the form or the email will not arrive.
A Motivated Seller Submits A Property To You
After a Seller sends you their information, you can contact them and make an offer on their property using the techniques I gave you in Chapter 4.
The offer you make will fit one of the following criteria:
1. Substantially Under Market Value 2. Available On Terms At Market Price Or Below.
With either of these types of deals you can make money.
If you don't have good credit or any capital to work with and you find Sellers with properties "substantially under market value," but available only with cash, you may need an Investor.
Investors Are Easy To Find With A Web Site Like This
They really are a dime a dozen when you have a good property to sell.
When you drive investors to your new site, they will be directed to the Investor "sign up sheet." To see what it looks like, go here or go to www.wewillbuy.com/go.html
Investors will fill out the contact information so you can call them or email them when you have a good property you want to flip or sell.
They will be anxious to purchase the deals you find and will pay you for your trouble. I showed you how this whole process of flipping property works in Chapter 6.
It is easy to get a reliable list of solid investors using a web site like this.
One thing to remember... Investors are always easier to get than good deals. If you find the deals, the money and the Investors will come easily.
You can set up a web site just like mine (please dont copy it - just create something similar) if you have some expertise in setting up web sites. The form script is a simple cgi script that I got for free from: www.bignosebird.com
It was not difficult to set up and you can do it yourself if you have web space and a piece of web authoring software like Frontpage.
You also want to buy an easy-to-remember web address like www.wewillbuy.com
It has to be something that you can remember after seeing it in your car.
Dont use hard to spell words or hyphens in your URL.
This is an example of a BAD web address: www.associatedhomebuyersofamerica.com No one will remember it when they get home, and if you try to put it in a classified ad, it will not fit on one line.
This book is not the place to go into how to set up a web page. You can get info on that just about anywhere on the web for free.
But not everyone wants to learn how to write a web page, how to buy a domain name, how to use a cgi script, how to format a page with HTML, how to buy web space, how to FTP your files, how to converge the emails so they are sent to the right place, etc
That is why I set up a simple, but effective site at: www.wewillbuy.com
I want everyone to be able to use these techniques and not have to worry about the technical stuff.
Okay, now Im going to show you how to get set up fast using my web site!
It is really simple. Just fill out the sign-up page and send us your information. Go to www.wewillbuy.com for details on how to register.
If you sign up now, I will waive the $799 set up fee. Thats right, no fee to set it up, just a reasonable monthly fee of $45.
When you register, we will get to work creating a personal web page for you with an easy-to-remember web address (domain name).
It will look something like this:
www.WeWillBuy.com/1 or www.WeWillBuy.com/78 or www.WeWillBuy.com/go or www.WeWillBuy.com/now
You will want an address that is easy to remember, so anyone who sees your sign on the street can remember it when they get home.
All of the site names will start with: www.WeWillBuy.com, but they will each have unique extensions that are easy to remember, like the ones above.
These pages will be for you ALONE. You do not have to share them with any of my other clients.
They will be personalized with your name and email address so when a Seller submits a potential property, the information will go directly to you!
The web site will be YOURS for as long as you want it.
The cost of this service is only $45 per month, paid monthly (minimum of 3 months).
Once again, let me state that there is NO SET UP FEE
SAVE $799 SET UP FEE! (For A VERY Limited Time)
Hurry... I won't be offering this free set up for long.
So, that's it.
Bonus One
Easy-To-Use Guidebook
How To Get Wealthy Buying And Selling Single Family Homes!
Learn How You Can Make The Money You Need To:
Put Your Kids Through College, Quit Your Current Job Pay For Your Retirement Achieve Financial Freedom!
By Joe Crump
www.realestatemoneymaker.com
United Home 4040 E. 82nd Street Suite C-9-202 Indianapolis, Indiana 46250
Copyright 2000-2003 - United Home
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR E-ZINE!
If you have not subscribed to our FREE ezine (email newsletter), "The Real Estate Money Maker," you can do it right now. Just send a blank email to:
subscribeme@realestatemoneymaker.com
Privacy Guarantee: Your email address will not be misused or sold to anyone!
Thank You For Subscribing!
You will learn many money making and money saving techniques for buying and selling homes in the following chapters.
It is our hope that by reading the free information in this ebook, you will discover the great opportunities that exist for someone who is willing to take the steps outlined here to become a profitable real estate investor.
Introduction Why This System For Buying Homes Really Works!
Chapter 1 The Perfect Investment
Chapter 2 Only 5% Of Americans Avoid Poverty At Retirement!
Chapter 3 Real Estate Has Been A Fantastic Investment Throughout History - "It's The Only Thing They Ain't Makin' More Of!"
Chapter 4 What Makes Single Family Homes A Powerful Investment Strategy?
Chapter 5 What Is The Downside Here? Am I Taking A Huge Risk By Investing In Homes?
Chapter 6 Where Do You Get The Amazing Deals You Hear About On Those Late Night Infomercials!
Chapter 7 What Type Of House Will Maximize My Profits?
Chapter 8 What Is The Minimum That I Need To Do To Get My House Ready To Rent?
Chapter 9 Survival Strategies For Managing Your Houses
Chapter 10 How Long Should I Wait Before Selling In Order To Make The Most CASH?
DISCLAIMER: The information in this book is solely advisory and should not be substituted for legal, financial or tax advice. Any and all financial decisions and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a qualified attorney, financial advisor and/or CPA. This book is not intended to solicit properties already listed by a real estate agent. The author, Joe Crump and the publisher, United Home, have made their best effort to produce an accurate, informative and helpful book. Nevertheless, they make no warranties of any kind with regard to the completeness or accuracy of the contents of this book. They accept no liability of any kind for any losses or damages caused or alleged to be cause, directly or indirectly, from using the information contained in this book.
Copyright 2000-2003 - United Home
Introduction
Why You Should Pay Attention To The Valuable Lessons You Will Learn In This Book
I am going to show you, in the next eleven chapters, one aspect of the real estate investment business. You are going to learn some key basics for purchasing single-family homes and holding them as rental properties. This is one of the easiest and best-known methods of investing in real estate today. As a subscriber to my free ezine, "The Real Estate Money Maker," you are also going to be exposed to many different types of real estate investments in the future that are not discussed here. You will learn about: Flip properties Multi-unit rental properties Rehab homes Foreclosure properties Investments that will replace your income Investments that are designed for long term profits Investments that are designed to generate quick cash
If you haven't yet subscribed, send a blank email to: subscribeme@realestatemoneymaker.com As a real estate investor and real estate agent for the past twelve years, I've helped a lot of people buy income properties. I've seen (or personally made) nearly every possible mistake a real estate investor can make. But I've also made a lot of money in real estate, and helped many others make money too. Real estate investing is one of the most exciting businesses you can get involved in, and one of the most profitable if you do it right. Income potential and profits are not the only benefits to investing in real estate. Running your own real estate business gives you enormous freedom to run your life the way you want. I haven't had a "real" job since I worked part-time at a little camera shop on a noisy train platform in Chicago. I was a college student then, almost 20 years ago. Since then, I have always been my own boss. I have succeeded or failed based on my own triumphs and mistakes. I've been around the block once or twice since I started. Ive made lots of mistakes, and had my share of success as well. Today, I write books related to real estate and personal finance. I market them on and off the Internet. I am also the author of the ezine you just subscribed to, "The Real Estate Money Maker." I have been a licensed real estate broker for 14 years and am currently in the top 1% of all real estate agents in the world. I spend the rest of my time investing in my own real estate and offering my services as a business
coach for Realtors. I show agents how to get more clients and make more sales while working fewer hours. I teach them how to systemize and optimize their business in order to make their profits explode... virtually overnight. If you are a Realtor, or would like to be, check out my "real estate agent" web site at: www.getmoreclients.com
I Also Coach Real Estate Investors Like You Until now, I have only been willing to coach investor clients in my home market area - which is Indianapolis, Indiana. Coaching real estate investors is one of the most rewarding things I do. It is very exciting to watch someone discover that real estate investing is not difficult (as long as you know what to do) and can be very profitable, even if you have bad credit or no start up capital. 80% of my investor clients had less than $1000 in start up capital! I've helped others become very successful as real estate investors and I can do it for you too, if you are willing to "do what it takes." Although there are many helpful guidebooks available regarding real estate investments, most people find it very difficult to get started without making any major mistakes. That's where I come in. I can analyze your situation and help you make the right choices, choices that you can live with and profit from, choices that fit your lifestyle and your
particular personality. To find out about my coaching program, go to: http://www.zerodowninvesting.com I hope you find this book enlightening. It is my wish that it will spur you on to great success in whatever field you choose. The ideas and concepts you will learn here as a real estate investor, will carry over to just about any business you care to start in the future. Thank you for your time and interest. Here's wishing you the very best that life has to offer. Your partner in real estate success, Joe Crump Joe Crump Joe Crump Joe Crump joe@realestatemoneymaker.com
How To Get Wealthy Investing In Single Family Homes
Chapter 1 The Perfect Investment Every intelligent person knows the importance of planning and investing for the future. The tough part is, there are so many difficult and critical decisions to make. Everyone you talk to has his or her favorite "perfect" investment. So whom do you believe, and what is the "perfect" investment? First off, you need to realize... There Is No Such Thing As A Perfect Investment! All investments are a trade-off between risk and return. An investment with a high return will have a corresponding high degree of risk. On the other hand, a "safe" investment with low risk will offer a lower return or profit. Therefore, any investment is a compromise. Each investor must weigh the different levels of risk and return for any given investment. One investor may be willing to take more of a risk in exchange for the potentially large returns, while another is more comfortable with safer, less risky investments. There is no investment that fits everyone.
NOTE: With the free newsletter you subscribed to, ("The Real Estate Money Maker"), you will learn about many different types of real estate investments. Some will have more risk and have a higher potential for profit than others. If you have not yet subscribed, send a blank email to: subscribeme@realestatemoneymaker.com A moment ago we stated that there is no such thing as the "perfect" investment, and this is true. But there is one thing I am sure of... Real Estate Is As Close To Perfect As You Will Get! Many people want to invest in real estate, but they just don't know how to get started. There is a lot of bad information out there, and people generally have lots of questions. To cover everything in an organized, logical manner, let's look at the most common questions and discuss the answers.
Chapter 2 Only 5% Of Americans Avoid Poverty At Retirement! The sad truth is only 1 out of 20 Americans will be financially independent when they reach retirement. The rest depend on family, friends, or charities, with millions existing at the poverty level... literally waiting around to die. If you plan on spending all your money as you make it and retiring on your social security, you need to wake up! Social security is designed merely to provide a supplement to your investments and retirement plan. If Social Security is all you've got, you are either going to have to continue working well past normal retirement age, or be living a very meager lifestyle. You deserve more than that, and you can have it with some financial discipline and planning. Of course, a good real estate investment coach couldnt hurt. ;-) Why not just put your money in a mattress or safe deposit box? Because inflation will kill you. It will eat away at your money's value, actually making you poorer with each day that goes by. For those of you who need some explanation, inflation is simply the general trend of prices to rise over time. Think back to 25 or 30 years ago. You could buy: A new car for $5,000. A hamburger for 20 cents.
A new house for $25,000. You certainly can't do that today. While the prices of some items are actually coming down (i.e. computers), the overall trend is up. This means that over time, your money will buy you less and less. For example, if inflation is running at 4% per year, you need to earn 4% on your money just to break even, more if you want to build wealth. You want to invest in things that not only give you a good return, but also go up in value (appreciate). Another reason to invest is for the tax advantages. Most of us are being taxed from every angle. Of course, I'm not talking about cheating the government, or not paying taxes that are legally due. Smart investors structure their investments in order to legally pay the lowest amount of tax. This includes tax- free investments, tax credits (as in depreciation) and tax deferral (as in most retirement plans). Did you know you are able to depreciate your rental property and reduce your gross income by the same amount? This means you typically save a buck in Federal Income Taxes for every three you depreciate (depending on your tax bracket). Many people invest for cash flow. A common goal in real estate investing is to create a "money machine" that eventually replaces you as the primary income earner. In other words, instead of you working for your money, your money works for you! Smart investing will put you in the position where someday your investments will earn more money each year than you do working at your job. At that point you can retire and do what ever you want, or continue to work and really sock away the dough, building up
some serious wealth! The main reasons for investing are: 1. Appreciation 2. Tax Advantages 3. Cash Flow 4. Retirement Or stated another way, a great investment should have the following qualities: 1. Beats (or benefits from) inflation. 2. Gives you tax advantages. 3. Provides growth or cash flow. 4. Helps your overall retirement plan.
Chapter 3 Real Estate Has Been A Fantastic Investment Throughout History There are truly many advantages to investing in real estate. More millionaires have made their fortunes in real estate than anything else. Here is what some of the wealthiest Americans have said: "Real estate is the basis for all wealth." -Theodore Roosevelt "Buying real estate is the best, safest way to become wealthy." - Marshall Fields "90% of all millionaires made it through real estate." - Andrew Carnegie "Remember this, boy! Real estate is the only thing they ain't makin' more of!" - Somebody's Grandpappy Let's look at some of the advantages in more detail: APPRECIATION- Over the past 80 years, real estate values have continually increased. Of course, there have been some periods where values decreased, but the overall trend has been up. Like anything else, the value of real estate is determined by supply and demand. So what are the factors that have made real estate in such high demand over the years? One of the main factors is that shelter is a basic human need. People need places to live, work, and shop, where they aren't exposed to the weather. In periods of high inflation, real estate values go up. Real estate is an investment that benefits from inflation.
LEVERAGE- A great thing about real estate is you can tie up a big asset with a relatively small amount of money. You can easily buy a $100,000 home with only 10% ($10,000) down payment. To illustrate the power of leverage, consider this example. Suppose you bought $10,000 worth of gold, mutual funds, or some other investment. Let's say that it goes up a modest 10% for the year. Your investment is now worth $11,000. So your return is 10% of $10,000 = $1,000. Now lets suppose you take the same $10,000 and use it as a down payment to buy a $100,000 house. Again, let's say it goes up 10% for the year. Your property is now worth $110,000! Your $10,000 investment increased by $10,000. That is a 100% return on your money (not even considering the equity build-up resulting from the constantly decreasing mortgage - cash flow - or tax advantages)! TAX ADVANTAGES- You can deduct, as an expense, all of the interest, property taxes, insurance, repairs, inspections, and depreciation on your investment real estate, no matter how much you own. Do not confuse this with the rules for your personal residences. While you are limited to deducting interest on up to 2 personal residences, you can write off unlimited interest on investment real estate. The IRS also allows you to take a paper write off (depreciation). You can depreciate the structure (not the land) as if it would be worth nothing at the end of 27.5 years! Of course we all know the property will probably be worth much, much more in 27.5 years than it is now, not less.
Nevertheless, on a $100,000 house, if we assume the structure is worth 80% of the total, we are allowed to write off nearly $3,000 in depreciation alone each year! That's $3,000 off your gross annual income! Now that is tax planning! FREEDOM- While there is some management and record keeping required, it is nothing compared with other investments. If you invested in a business such as a dry cleaners or a restaurant, you would be married to the place, putting in an ungodly amount of hours. Real estate investing can be done without too much interference with your current job. SOMEONE ELSE PAYS FOR IT- With real estate, the people who occupy your buildings are called tenants. They pay you rent every month that you use to pay the mortgage. The tenants literally buy your investment property for you! When you invest in stocks, bonds, or precious metals, you are the one who has to pay for it. CASH FLOW- Real estate provides you with a monthly cash flow. This can result in some very significant income, especially after the loan is paid off. SOLID ASSET- Real estate is widely recognized as one of the greatest assets to own. It will be looked upon favorably by anyone looking at your financial statements. Real estate is also easy to borrow against should you need extra capital.
Once you understand all of the advantages of investing in real estate, it is easy to see that very few investments can it. No wonder it is the favorite of millionaires! If you want to be successful, do what the most successful people are doing...
INVEST IN REAL ESTATE!!
Chapter 4 What Makes Single Family Homes A Powerful Investment Strategy? We have discussed the value of investing in real estate, but why single family homes? Why not invest in raw land, apartment buildings, shopping centers, or office buildings? There is certainly nothing wrong with these other types of real estate. I will be showing you how to invest in them in future issues of my newsletter. Single-family homes have many advantages over other forms of real estate. SMALLER AMOUNT OF MONEY NEEDED- The average person simply does not have the money to go out and buy a shopping center or apartment building, unless they build a financial base and really understand financing. As was discussed before, it is possible to buy a single family home with 10% or less down payment. This means you can buy a $100,000 house for only $10,000 down. It is quite reasonable to ask the average person to save $10,000 to buy their first investment property. Single-family homes are great for the average investor. PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH HOUSES- Most people are not comfortable with shopping centers or apartment buildings. They don't know what the rents are, what repair costs are, etc. On the other hand, most people do understand single-family homes. They probably have seen the value of their own home go up over the years. They know in their heart that it is
a good investment. They also know roughly what it costs for repairs. People buy what they are familiar with! MORE FLEXIBILITY- Let's assume, that for the same amount of money you could either have 5 houses or 1 apartment building. If you needed money, with the apartment you would either have to sell the whole thing, refinance the whole thing, or bring in a partner on the whole thing. With the 5 houses, you could sell, refinance, or bring in a partner on just one. It is comparable to having five $20 bills versus one $100 bill. If you buy coffee at the convenience store with a $100 bill, they might not take it. Like the $100 bill, the apartment building can be harder to get rid of. Houses are more liquid. In most areas, single-family homes sell in 120 days or less. Apartments can take much longer. More people can afford single-family homes and more people want them. MORE CONTROL- With an apartment building, all of the tenants know each other, and they will know what they pay in rent. That means it is difficult to charge one tenant higher rent than another. Plus, if one tenant plays the stereo too loud or causes other problems, YOU will get the complaints. With houses, they are generally scattered around the area. You can raise the rents individually or offer lower rents to excellent tenants. HIGHER EQUITY BUILD UP- There is usually more appreciation in single-family homes than in apartments. Apartment buildings are valued based on the income approach (how much money they bring in). Single-family homes are valued based on comparable
sales. This means your investment houses are valued according to what the others in the neighborhood are selling for. Owning your own home is part of the American dream. A home is a psychological desire. There is certainly more demand for houses than apartment buildings. LESS CHANCE OF RENT CONTROL- Rent control is where the government tells you how much you can charge for rent. In many big cities with rent control, buildings have been abandoned because the owners could not charge enough rent to cover their costs. As a property owner, rent control is a very bad thing. Fortunately for the single-family home investor, most rent control laws only apply to buildings with 4 or more units. LESS RISK- With single-family homes, you don't have all your eggs in one basket. The homes are usually scattered around the area. With an apartment building, if the area goes bad for some reason (i.e. a factory or freeway goes in across the street), you are sunk. Single-family homes also tend to attract a better class of tenants than apartments. Apartment dwellers tend to be more transient, such as single people or young couples. They will soon outgrow it and want to move to a house. Single-family homes generally attract a more stable tenant, such as families with kids in school who are less apt to move frequently. Additionally, most people who live in apartments won't do minor repairs and maintenance, like those living in a house will. Other forms of real estate are fine, but they may
require more money and sophistication than the average investor has. It is easy to see why single- family homes are a fantastic investment for just about everyone.
Chapter 5 What's The Downside Here? Am I Taking A Huge Risk By Investing In Homes? It would not be fair to have a discussion about investing in single-family homes without covering the negatives as well. Every investment has some drawbacks. No investment is perfect." MANAGEMENT- All real estate requires management, either by you or a professional management company. There are more headaches involved with real estate than you would have by simply putting your money in a money market account or mutual funds. Single-family homes are more difficult in some respects because they are spread out. This makes it harder for showings and repairs versus an apartment where all the units are in one location. There is also more paperwork, because each house has its own mortgage, property taxes, insurance, etc. Management takes some time, but if you develop a system and stay on top of it, it is not all that hard. VACANCY- All real estate can suffer a vacancy from time to time. With a single family home, if it's vacant, the whole thing is vacant. With a 10-unit apartment, if you have a vacancy, you still have the other 9 units producing rents. There are ways to minimize the vacancy rate so it isn't a big problem. REPAIRS- All real estate will require repairs from time- to-time. Single-family homes have their own furnaces, air conditioners, roofs, etc., unlike an apartment building.
Therefore, houses may have more repairs, although they will generally be less expensive repairs than you would have with a larger building. Apartments also require things like landscaping maintenance and snow removal, things that a tenant often does in a single family home. In addition, tenants in houses often perform a lot of minor repairs themselves.
Chapter 6 Where Do You Get The Amazing Deals You Hear About On Those Late Night Infomercials! It almost goes without saying that you want to buy the houses for the lowest possible price. But where do you find these deals? They certainly don't walk up and knock on your forehead (unless you are a real estate agent). Note: In future issues of my ezine, I will be discussing the pros and cons of obtaining a real estate license for the full time real estate investor. There are many advantages to being a member of your local Board of Realtors. To find good deals, you need to actively go out and look for them. You need to develop a system for locating motivated Sellers. What is a motivated Seller? It is a Seller who is anxious and compelled to sell their house as fast as possible, no matter the reason. These Sellers will likely sell for less than market value, often considerably so, and shake your hand to thank you for buying it. They had a problem and you helped solve it. You got the "monkey off their back." Do not ever feel like you are taking advantage of a Seller. For whatever reason, they are in the situation they are in and it's not your fault. Remember, if you don't buy it, someone else will! What would cause a Seller to be in a situation where they need to sell fast? There are many possible answers, but here are some of the most common: DIVORCE- About 25% of all home sales are the result of divorce or family problems. While this is unfortunate, it provides some great opportunities for the investor.
There are cases where one spouse will agree to sell the house very cheap just so the other gets less money. Often, in messy divorces, the court will order the sale of the house, so it MUST be sold. When people are highly emotional, they will do things that are sometimes hard to believe, like accepting a low offer on the house! DEATH- This is also unfortunate, but it is something that happens to all of us. Sometimes the sale is motivated by emotion, such as a spouse who does not want to stay in the same house after the other spouse dies. Other times it is financial, where the home can no longer be afforded without the deceased. In many cases, there are large estate taxes to be paid. If the inheritors of the estate do not have the cash to pay the taxes, they will sell off assets like houses to pay the taxes. If they don't, the government will step in and force an estate sale to generate the money owed for the taxes. JOB TRANSFER- When a person is dependent on their job and they get transferred, they sometimes must move quickly. Often, one spouse will go ahead to the new city and leave the other behind until the home sells. This means separation, and the expense of traveling back and forth. After several months under this arrangement, the motivation to sell can increase greatly. Sometimes the transferred employee's company will pay some or all of the costs associated with selling the house and moving. This may make it possible to take a lower price. BOUGHT ANOTHER HOME- In many cases a Seller will purchase another home before their existing home is sold. They may need to sell the existing home before
they are able to close on the new one. Sometimes they may close on the new one, move into it, and leave the old one vacant. Either way, the motivation to sell can be large! FORECLOSURE- When the owner of a home doesn't make the payments, sooner or later the bank will foreclose on the property and take it back. Depending on state/local laws, the foreclosure process can take anywhere from 4 to 15 months. This leads to 2 different opportunities. The first is where the foreclosure process has been started, and the owner is still living in the property. They may be highly motivated to sell because soon, the bank will complete the foreclosure and they will be forced to move out. The other is where the bank has completed the foreclosure and now owns the house. It is controlled by the bank's real estate owned (REO) department. The REO department does not want to own houses. They will attempt to dispose of them as soon as possible, often at substantial discounts. VACANT HOUSES- Any of the above 5 situations can lead to a vacant house. Any time you see a house sitting vacant, you see resources being wasted. Whoever owns it is either making payments every month, or are missing out on the use of the money somewhere else (if they own it free and clear). No matter what the situation, a vacant house is usually a good sign of a motivated Seller. There are several ways to find these motivated Sellers. The first is to find a reliable, professional real estate agent to assist you. Real estate agents are out in the trenches every day and are the first to know about these types of properties. Most of the time the agents are paid by the Seller, so it doesn't directly cost you to
use their services. You may want to distribute flyers to real estate offices stating that you are an investor who will buy properties meeting certain criteria. You can also contact divorce and probate attorneys, and bank REO departments. The most important thing is, tell them you are prepared to act fast and buy a property quickly if it meets your criteria.
Chapter 7 What Type Of House Will Maximize My Profits? So, how do you determine what houses to buy? What criteria are used to evaluate potential investment houses? How do you buy them? What do you do to get them ready to rent? It is not really all that difficult, if you follow a few simple guidelines. TYPE- The most important thing to remember here is to follow the law of supply and demand. What type of house appeals to the most people? In most areas, this will be a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage, detached house (3/2/2). This is not to say a 4 bedroom is no good. If you come across a 4 bedroom that is a great deal and meets all the other criteria, by all means buy it. What about condominiums or townhouses? While generally not as good as a house, they do have the advantage of being easier to maintain because a homeowners association (HOA) handles the maintenance. However, this is also one of the drawbacks to a condo/townhouse. The HOA fees are often high ($100 per month or more) and they usually go up. Furthermore, many HOAs hold the owner responsible for the actions of the tenant. So you could end up getting fines because your tenant doesn't park in the right spot or plays the stereo too loud. Most HOAs have the power to put a lien against the title of your property for money they claim you owe them, such as fines or special assessments. In
extreme circumstances, HOAs can turn into ugly battlefields with bitter disputes among neighbors. A condo/townhouse can be harder to sell than a house. They also tend to have a higher proportion of renters than owners. As a rule, the best investment properties are in areas where a majority of the residents are owners. A condo/townhouse can be an excellent investment, just make sure to do some homework. LOCATION- Look for an average house, in an average neighborhood, to rent to an average person, and, down the road, to sell to an average person. You want a middle-income area with the widest appeal. Avoid homes on busy streets or that back up to a busy street. If you can find a home on a cul-de-sac or comer lot, that's great. You should research home sales over the past few years. A real estate agent can help you with this or you can go to your county records. Pick an area where values are steadily increasing. As for age, a newer home will generally require less in repairs, although this is not always true. PRICE RANGE- The key here is to select a price range where you can get a positive cash flow, or at least break even, while still being able to make the rent affordable. This price range is generally just below the average price in the area. For example, if the average home in your area is selling for $140,000, the best rentals may be in the $110,000 to $130,000 price range. In addition, this is a price range that should be easy to sell in the future once the time comes. High priced or luxury homes are generally not recommended. It can be hard to rent them for enough
to cover the mortgage payment. If they go vacant for a while, it can cost you plenty. Many tenants who rent luxury homes, do so only for short terms, leaving the owner with another vacancy. On the other hand, if prices are increasing rapidly, a higher priced home may appreciate more in gross dollars. On the other hand, a lower priced home is not necessarily the best. The main problem is management. People in low price areas are typically bad money managers. They often live paycheck to paycheck, with no savings for emergencies. When their car breaks down or there is an unexpected medical bill, the landlord gets a sob story saying the rent is going to be late. Once a low-income tenant gets behind in the rent, the chances of them bringing it current are slim. Tenants in lower priced homes are also more likely to abuse the property and neglect maintenance and minor repairs. They often have many kids and pets crammed into a small house. Finally, low priced homes are often in areas that have low appreciation. Of course, these are generalities and certainly not true in every case. I have one client who owns 220 separate units in neglected areas. She collects rent weekly and easily fills vacancies. She also gets top dollar for her properties by being flexible on deposits (collects them in payments over several months). There are 6 fulltime employees on her staff to help her with maintenance, repairs and management. I consider her a good friend and an awesome businesswoman.
FINANCING- There are many different ways to buy properties, but they all fall pretty much into the following categories. a.) CASH PURCHASE- This is simple, just like it sounds. The Buyer pays the entire purchase price in cash without getting a loan for any part of it. In this case, the Buyer/investor would have a large cash flow because there is no mortgage payment. There is nothing wrong with this, except the Buyer is not taking advantage of the leverage of getting a loan and is tying up more money than necessary. Rather than pay cash for a $100,000 house, he could have used the money to put a 10% down payment on ten $100,000 houses and own ten homes instead of one. Of course, most people simply don't have enough money laying around to pay all cash for a house! b.) NEW MORTGAGE- In this case (the most common) the Buyer makes a down payment and goes to a bank or mortgage company to get a loan for the balance of the purchase price. The bank will put a lien against the property so if the payments are not made, they can repossess it. The Buyer will be required to fill out a loan application and the bank, depending on the amount of the down payment, will run a credit report, verify the applicant's employment and bank accounts, and analyze the debt to income ratio. NOTE: If your credit is a problem, you will not be able to work with these "conforming" lenders. I've written a book about credit repair. It is called, "How To Clean Your Credit In 60 Days!" It shows you an easy, step-by-step, system that will help you get perfect credit fast.
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The interest rates and fees charged can vary significantly, so a prudent Buyer is well advised to shop around with different loan companies before going through the application process. There is private mortgage money available to Buyers with bad credit. What matters to these lenders is the equity in the property. If you can find a good deal (a home at 70% loan-to- value) it won't matter how your credit looks. This is one of the most important sources of money for investors and I will discuss it in more detail in future issues of my newsletter, "The Real Estate Money Maker." c.) SELLER FINANCING- This is where the Seller acts like a bank and loans you the money to buy his house. The terms, such as interest rate, down payment, length of loan, etc. may all be widely negotiable. The advantages to the Buyer are that the Seller will usually not require a full loan application and credit check. They also do not charge all the miscellaneous fees the banks normally do. The Seller gets a good return on his money, which is secured by the property, and the gain from the sale gets spread out over a number of years, which may help with the Seller's tax situation. Seller financing is good if you can get it, but a relatively small percentage of Sellers own their homes free and clear. Many don't want anything to do with carrying the mortgage, but it is always worth a try.
d.) ASSUMPTION- Prior to 1988, all FHA and VA mortgages were assumable without qualifying. Many investors scooped up properties by simply assuming these loans with small down payments. Those days are all but gone. There are still some of the old loans around, but the equities are big, so the Buyer has to come up with a huge down payment. For example, if a property selling for $100,000 had an underlying assumable loan of $50,000, the Buyer would have to put up a $50,000 down payment. If the Seller is willing to carry a second mortgage, then the Buyer could make a down payment of $10,000 and the Seller would carry a second mortgage of $40,000. Most of the newer loans are not assumable, or require the Buyer to fully qualify to assume the loan. e.) CONTRACT OF SALE- There are many ways to use this technique, but the basics are the same. The new Buyer makes a down payment to the Seller and takes over the property, without notifying the underlying mortgage holder. The Buyer makes payments to the Seller, who then makes the proper payment to the mortgage company. Most all mortgages have an "acceleration clause" that allows the mortgage holder to call the entire loan balance immediately due and payable if title or interest in the property is transferred without their permission. There are too many details and possible situations to go into here, but despite the risks, buying on "contract" is a fairly common practice.
Chapter 8 What Is The Minimum That I Need To Do To Get My House Ready To Rent? It makes good sense to try to buy homes that require the least amount of work, but sometimes the best deals are on homes needing some, or a lot of attention, before they are ready to rent. Do not make the mistake of trying to rent a home if it is not in good condition. The only tenants who will be willing to rent it are messy and figure that since the house isn't in good condition anyway, it doesn't matter if they trash it. So what does good condition mean? INSIDE- The two best things you can do that will make the biggest difference for the least amount of money (in addition to a thorough cleaning) are carpet and paint. Fresh carpet and paint make a house smell, feel, and look new inside. When choosing the colors, go with neutral tones, nothing flashy. Paint should be off-white, with a beige tint for a soft, cozy feel. Don't use gray as it gives a cold and drab feeling. Never put up wallpaper. It is a lot of work and you will regret it down the road! Carpet should be something in the beige-brown range, which is neutral and will hide some wear and tear. Use a low to mid range carpet, but go with a higher end pad. The nicer pad doesn't cost much more and it makes the cheaper carpet feel more expensive. It also makes it last longer. OUTSIDE- The idea here is to "gingerbread" the exterior, giving it "curb appeal. The house should look nice and well kept; the kind of place people would
choose to live in. Paint the outside if it needs it. Again, you should use neutral colors that are common to other homes in the area. As you buy more and more houses, you can save money and confusion by buying large cans of paint and using it on all of your houses. It makes touch ups easy because you never have to remember what color you painted it! Other items include a nice looking front door, mowing the grass, trimming the trees and bushes, planting flowers, etc. Many people elect to do repair work themselves, and this may make sense in some cases. Never take time off from work to do the repairs if you have a high paying job. It is silly to take off from a job where you make $30 per hour to do a repair job that you could hire someone to do for $10 per hour. Often when you hire the job out, it gets done much faster, meaning less time making the payments on an empty house. Besides, when you hire it done, you can write off the entire cost of the job, whereas, if you do it yourself, you can only write off the materials. BUY-FIX-SELL- Many people like the idea of buying houses, fixing them up and then selling them. It is possible to profit this way, but you must be very careful. If you dont know exactly what you are doing, you will get burned. Once you buy the property, you need to fix it up. Depending on the amount of work needed, this can take a couple months. During this period, you are not only paying for the repairs, but also the mortgage. Once the repairs are done, it can take several more months to sell the house, which means more payments on a vacant house.
When it does sell, the average selling costs (with commissions, closing costs, taxes, etc.) are near 10%. It is easy to see how you would need to buy the house for at least 25% under its good condition market value in order to work. If you are off on some of your estimates, or pay too much for the house, you can lose a lot of money fast.
Chapter 9 Survival Strategies For Managing Your Houses Good management is critical to being successful when investing in single-family homes. In fact, even if you do everything else properly, you've got big problems if you don't know how to manage the houses. Finding and buying the house is only part of the job. Paying attention to your properties using good management is half the battle. Those who don't pay attention will go broke. I've seen it happen MANY times. Repairs and vacancies two problems you will face. Too much of either will turn a good investment into a bad one. Both of them are usually the result of bad management practices. Record keeping is critical. Make sure you have everything for tax time and in case of an audit. Fortunately, once you learn the "tricks of the trade, you can easily put together a system that allows you to avoid most of the management nightmares. Selecting your tenants is, without a doubt, the most critical management decision you will make. The profitability of your investment depends on it. So how do you find good tenants? You can either turn the whole job over to a professional management company or do it yourself. The first option is certainly easier, but a professional will usually charge around 10% of the gross rent every month. This may be all right down the road when you have plenty of equity and a large cash flow to afford it, but investors starting out can be well served to learn the ropes themselves.
The two most common ways to find tenants are using classified ads in the newspaper and FOR RENT signs in the yard. In most cases, this will be adequate. You Must Learn How To Screen And Qualify Your Tenants You may be tempted to take any renter that comes along without any background check because they "seem nice enough." NEVER, EVER, EVER, MAKE THIS MISTAKE! People are not always what they seem. It is better to have a vacancy than a bad tenant. You need to tell all prospective tenants that call you: "Thanks for calling. That home is an excellent one and it is still available. I'd be happy to show it to you. Continue on by saying, I should tell you that we require a $35 non-refundable application fee and that all references and past landlords are checked, in addition to running a credit report. Prior to moving in, we require the first month's rent, a security deposit of $XX and a refundable cleaning deposit of $75. Do you still want to see it?" You will eliminate most of the bad tenants right then and there. If they know you are going to check them out, and they have a lousy record, they won't even waste their time (or yours). You may be thinking that by following these rules you might not get any tenants, but this is not true. Nice, sharp-looking homes in good areas are always in demand. Before you agree to meet a prospective tenant at the house, make sure to get their name and phone number. Not only can you call them if you get delayed, but they are more likely to show up (or call you if they can't make it) if they know you have their phone number.
Will These People Take Care Of Your Investment? When you do meet a prospective tenant at the house, always be polite and respectful (this goes for on the phone too). Take a look at their car. If it is filthy and full of trash and half eaten hamburgers, this is probably how your house would end up looking if you rented to them. Allow them to take a look at the house for themselves without you breathing down their neck. Don't say stupid things like "this is the kitchen". You should casually mention any features or benefits that are not obvious. Let them know you are a serious investor and you will make any necessary repairs promptly. Strike up a conversation by asking questions such as: "How long have you been in town?" "Where do you live now?" "Why are you moving?" "How long of a lease are you looking for?" "Where do you work?" "How many of you would be occupying the home?" Listen to how they answer these questions. If they say something like "We are moving because our last landlord was impossible to deal with," you may have some concerns. If they are sincerely interested, you'll know it. Don't oversell the place, as you will only come across as desperate. Ask if they want to fill out an application. If so, encourage them to fill it out on the spot and collect their $35 application fee. Tell them it usually takes about 24 hours to process and you'll call them promptly either way. If they prefer, give them an application to
take with them and bring back to you later. If you are managing a lot of houses, you may want to get an account with a credit bureau to run credit checks yourself. Otherwise, it makes sense to use an outside service. Many of these services will run the credit check, verify past landlords, employment, and bank accounts, for around $18-35 (that's what you use the application fee for). It's a good idea not to put too much weight on what their current landlord says about them. If they have been problem tenant, many landlords will lie and tell you they are great so you will take them and they won't have to deal with them anymore. If possible, it's best to go back to the landlord prior to the current one. Remember, people are creatures of habit. If they are slobs or slow payers, they are likely to continue to be. If the prospective tenant checks out O.K. and you don't have any bad feelings or other concerns, call them and let them know the good news. Arrange a meeting for them to sign the lease agreement and pay the required up front money. Be careful not to call the security deposit the last month's rent, and do not make it equal to a months rent. If the monthly rent is $1,000, make the security deposit $1,250 or so. The reason is that at the end, when they are going into their last month, you don't want them to think they can just use the money they paid at the beginning. Make them pay the rent for their last month at the beginning of that month as usual. After they move out, if everything is all right, refund the security deposit. They will be a lot more careful and leave the house in better condition if they know their deposit is on the line. Beware Of Scam Artists If they are paying by check, never allow the tenant to
move in prior to making sure it clears the bank. If the check is drawn on a local bank, go there and cash it. If the move-in date is within a day or so, require them to give you cash, money order, or a cashier's check. This is also the time to let the tenant know what you expect of them and what they can expect from you. You will avoid a lot of potential problems if you spell everything out in the lease agreement. Since the goal is to find long-term tenants, you don't want anything shorter than a one-year lease, longer if you can get it. Every time a tenant moves out, you have wear and tear on the house, a vacancy, cleaning, repairs, and the hassle of finding another tenant. The best tenants are the ones who stay for years without ever causing you any problems. If you live in a cold weather state where it may be difficult to find a tenant from December -February, don't make the lease expire during those months. Run the lease for 14 or 16 months if necessary and explain why to the tenant. Make The Rules Crystal Clear...Then Stick To Them Let the tenant know you are serious about your investments and you follow your policies very strictly. As long as they follow the rules, the two of you will have a good relationship. If they don't, you will swiftly take action to protect your investment. Please note: Landlord-tenant laws vary widely from area to area. Before implementing any rules, make sure you are not violating any local or state laws. Be very clear that rent is due on the 1st of the month and if it's not in your hands by the 5th, you will immediately start eviction proceedings. No matter how tempting, do not ever accept partial rent payments. If you do, you may have to start the entire eviction process over, and it sets a bad precedent. There is a $20 per day late fee after the 5th. There is a $30
charge for a returned check. Once they bounce a check, they must pay with money orders or a cashier's check from then on. Do not allow them to sub-let the house. Put a limit on how many people can occupy the house (i.e. 2 adults and 2 children). They pay for any legal fees incurred in your having to go to court to enforce the agreement. It is best not to allow pets. Put this in writing. If you do allow them, state how many, what type, and get a bigger security deposit. Smoking should not be allowed in the house - PERIOD! It's just not worth it. It stinks up the house, turns the walls brown, soaks into everything, causes burn holes on the carpet and burn marks on the counters and sinks, not to mention the risk of burning the whole place down! The tenant should be responsible for any repairs under $50. You don't want the tenant to call you for every silly little repair. On the other hand, don't set this amount too high or the tenant will simply ignore the necessary repairs and let the house slowly go downhill. Your Tenants Will Help You Maintain Your Investment The tenant should be responsible for replacing the heating/cooling system filters, maintaining the lawn and landscaping, snow removal, etc. The tenant must notify you immediately of any major problems needing repair. Tell the tenant that appliances, like refrigerators, washers and dryers, are there only as a convenience. They are strictly "AS-IS" and you take no responsibility to repair or replace them. The key to avoiding vacancy and related problems is to have good, long-term tenants. Try to get them attached to the house. Encourage them to work on it. Offer to
supply the materials if they want to do some worthwhile improvements to the place. If you are paying for part of an improvement, never allow them to deduct it from the rent. Get copies of the receipts, and then write them a separate check. This is much better from a tax standpoint. You can also let them know that when you are ready to sell it, you will give them the first right to buy. This is good for you because you avoid vacancies, real estate commissions, etc. The goal is to create a psychological attachment between the house and the tenant. The tenant will take much better care of the house if they think it might be theirs someday. You should drive by the house frequently, going inside to check it out at least every 3- 4 months. Make fairness your guide in dealing with the tenants. Enforce your rules strictly, but treat them with respect. Once they know your position, they will be less likely to break the rules, because they know the consequences if they do. Take Care Of Your Good Tenants And You Will Have Fewer Vacancies You may want to reward good tenants by not raising their rent, or giving them $50 or $100 off of their rent in December. Often the little things can mean a lot.
Chapter 10 How Long Should I Wait Before Selling In Order To Make The Most CASH? This depends on your goals, the area, the market, etc. Many people hold houses until they double in value. Others hold them until the mortgage is paid off. Still others hold them for a specified period such as 7 or 10 years. Some investors don't sell at all unless the neighborhood peaks out and values start to go down. You would be smart to monitor values on a consistent basis. This is not to say you should panic and sell every time there is a little glitch in the market. However, if the area has started going down while other areas are going up, you may want to sell and do a 1031 tax free exchange into a property that is appreciating better. Some investors hold the property until they are free and clear (assuming the values are stable). Then they can sell them by taking a down payment and carrying the mortgage themselves. This can provide them with a good, stable, cash flow for many years.
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Copyright 1999-2003 - United Home
FREE Bonus Two Real Estate Marketing Techniques I Have Used To Place Myself In The Top 1% Of ALL Real Estate Agents In The World!
The following manual was written for my Realtor clients to help them understand marketing and how to make the most of every dollar they spend on advertising.
I'm including it with this package because I feel it is vital information for anyone who has, or is getting ready to start, his or her own business.
All business is about GETTING PAYING CUSTOMERS!
It doesn't matter what type of business... be it brain surgery, selling hamburgers or reselling real estate.
Never forget this important lesson.
I've sold this book to Realtors in the past for $79.90 and still include it in several of the marketing packages I sell. You are getting this information for FREE.
Make good use of it and it will serve you.
The Marketing Basics You Must Know In Order To Profit In Your Business
I'm starting this manual out with a section on marketing because marketing is your business. Without this information, youll never reach the levels of success you desire. With this information, youll become a more successful and profitable professional.
You can't overlook the fact that if you want to build a successful practice, you must spend a reasonable amount of time, money and effort on marketing.
I know it sounds logical, but you'd be surprised how many times something like this will bypass the typical agent.
An agent, no matter where they do business, needs this information, and any professional that's "in" business to make a profit, is in the business of MARKETING! That's what it really boils down to...
No Matter What Type Of Professional You Are... What Your Market Is Where Youre Located... Or Anything Else You're Really In The Marketing Business!
If you're going to be advertising your business, you must know the basics of marketing and build upon them. That's why I'm starting this first section on the basics of marketing.
Having this information will do you good, ONLY if you put the ideas into action. This whole special report is about action. Never forget this:
There Is No Success Without Action
Meditation won't get you there - more Seminars wont get you there - more tapes from the Superstars wont get you there - more Boot camps wont get you there. Only action will.
Some people won't like these ideas because they are totally unique, different and proprietary in every way, but they work! All the time! For everybody!
My point is this, you can't possibly hope to succeed in todays marketplace unless you have the marketing mindset, tools, techniques, systems and ideas that Im about to share with you, as part of your business arsenal. And, you must put them to work!
I know you want to succeed or you wouldnt have taken the step to invest in my materials. That's why you will not join the 85 out of 100 sales professionals that fail each and every year. Money and time are wasted, and dreams are torn apart, every time one of these people fails.
You will not be one of them if you will follow the marketing truths you're about to read. If you take the time to learn these essentials of marketing, you will be a profitable agent, very profitable indeed.
Marketing is a game, a game that you can win with powerful advertising.
To win, you must play by rules that will win the game. I will give you the basic rules you need to be able to put marketing and advertising to work making money for you.
I have many people to thank for this information, too many to list. And much of this information I have learned, at great expense, by making all kinds of costly mistakes.
I hope you'll learn from my mistakes and won't fall into the traps so many salespeople do, and end up out of business.
Here Are The Steps To Help You Succeed In Marketing Your Business:
1) Focus On The Benefits To Your Prospects
2) Know Who Your Prospects Are, How Many There Are, And How To Reach Them
3) Understand Your Competition
4) Understand The Problems Of Your Prospects And How You Can Solve Them
5) Don't Use Expensive Advertising, Use Less Expensive Alternatives
Success Step One: Focus On The Benefits To Your Prospects
You may be very excited about what you do. You may be so excited about your service, company, how many clients you have, the sales club you belong to, awards youve won, your recognizability or anything else, that you could talk about it for hours. However, your prospects are only going to respond with a resounding "so what?"
The features you are so excited about, the ones that boost your ego, are basically meaningless to those prospects out there, unless you turn them into believable, powerful and compelling benefits to them, benefits that will motivate them into signing with you or working with you exclusively.
You must take every feature you offer and translate it into a benefit meaningful for your prospects. If a feature you offer has no benefit, then it is a feature you don't need to be talking about (99% of all the features the typical salesperson talks about fall into this category).
The essence of successful marketing is to discern and disseminate precise, compelling benefits to your prospects; benefits which let them know in crisp, energetic, precise detail, exactly what's in it for them when they work with you.
So, for each specific target market you are pursuing, you must determine what benefits you are providing the prospect. The easiest way to do this is to look at the features from your prospects point of view.
Ask yourself, "If I were a prospect, what's in it for me to work with ______?" Then answer that same question in reference to each and every feature you offer.
When you are compelling someone to work with you, you must always tell them the benefits first, and then tell them what feature offers them this benefit or result.
By focusing on the benefits, you'll be head and shoulders above the other people going after the same prospect.
Now lets look at the next Success Step that will enable you to profit from marketing basics in your business:
Know Who Your Prospects Are, How Many There Are, and How To Reach Them
If you are to truly succeed in this business, you've got to know who can and will work with you, how many of these prospects there are, and how you can reach them in a cost-effective, consistent manner.
So, first you must understand the type of prospect you are looking for. You must realize that if you don't know what YOU want and what YOU are all about, what YOUR goals are, you will have a hard time finding the best suited and matched prospect for YOU.
Most salespeople dabble in every type of market imaginable and never get anywhere. In order to be outrageously successful, you need a niche, a specialty, a market that you know and service better than anyone else.
As an example, let's assume you love working with referrals only. Not new clients or anything else, just referrals. To determine this, you would have had to ask yourself most of the following questions (which I suggest you do now, especially if you do not yet have a niche, specialty or market that youve already determined to be an exact match for YOU):
* How far am I willing to travel?
Determine your market area. Are you only interested in working around town, or are you willing to drive 45 minutes for a deal? This is important to decide right now.
Once youve answered this question, use it to answer the next:
* How many prospects are there and how do I find them?
This question could be a little tougher to answer. Depending on which market you're after, it could be easy to find your prospects, or tough. For our example however, let's take a moment to think logically.
Lets say that youve determined you dont want to travel very far for new business and youd like to stay in the immediate area. The immediate area may have three sub-divisions with a total of three thousand homeowners. Would it be possible to get the names, addresses and phone numbers to those 3000 residents?
Sure. Now, youve determined your business location and the exact target market youre going after. Forget, ignore and delete from your data bank of possibilities all the other prospects that fall outside of YOUR niche market.
As funny as this may sound, only one in 100 salespeople ever go through this simple process of deciding their exact target market. The majority of all people are like kids in a candy store. There are so many options, so many choices, so many different things to try, that they eat a little bit of everything and get sick. In business, if you dont find YOUR niche and specialty, your just like the sick little kid in the candy store.
This example should open your mind to understand that it is relatively simple to determine and find a niche market for your business. Its crucially important to your success, so take some time and do it now.
All you've got to do is continually ask the questions that lead you to the answers.
Now lets look at how to reach your prospects.
There are many ways to reach YOUR market, all of which work if done correctly. You can...
Use direct mail Telemarketing Write a Newsletter Conduct Seminars Advertise - (classified, display, magazine, Val- Pak, card decks, etc...)
These are just a few of the marketing methods you can use. We will discuss each of them in great detail later in this manual. But rest assured, each one works well if set up and used correctly. After all, every traveling seminar Top Producing sales professional that writes a book or marketing system, has their own successful approach.
Some experts say you must make 141 cold calls per day. Another may say to send out 100,000 direct mailers a month or to advertise FREE REPORTS. Some may to conduct FREE SEMINARS to reach your goals, while still others say to focus 110% on past clients and referrals.
You know what? Theyre all correct! Every approach will work, but the key difference here is that not every marketing approach works for everyone.
Thats why you have to find YOUR way of marketing, YOUR niche, and YOUR business objectives. Thats what Im all about and thats what this program will teach you, besides a million other things!
I am a believer in spending a reasonable amount of time determining your niche. Once you do, test different marketing methods, based on YOUR own personality and work habits, to develop a complete and super profitable practice. You dont have to choose the expert on stage or any other person out there.
I always attempt to spend as little money as possible finding these types of things out. I advise you to do the
same as you are testing different approaches to making money in this business.
Especially when you are new to the unique and proprietary marketing that I teach. You should NEVER throw all of your money, time and effort into a single method. This is what most people do and its the real reason why 85% (or more) fail miserably.
One final note concerning this Success Step. It helps you know how many prospects you have and how to reach them so you can set your income goals based on real-life numbers, not approximations. It will also help you figure potential expenses in doing a direct mail piece, phoning, seminars, etc.
Knowing & Understanding Your Competition
Once you've determined your marketing area, you'll need to know who else is after your target market? Your marketing efforts will never take place in a vacuum; there will always be other things competing for your prospects attention and money.
Your competition is approaching your same prospect time and time again. That's why an essential part of successful marketing involves close scrutiny of your competitors, in an attempt to understand what they are doing, why they are doing it, and how well they are doing.
To be ahead of your competition you need to know:
1. Who is offering the same service in your area?
2. What are the precise features of their service? (Do they push their company? Themselves? Their Credentials?)
3. What benefits are derived by using their service?
4. What's unique about doing business with them?
5. How does that compare to doing business with you?
6. Is their market exactly the same as yours?
7. Why do your prospects use your competition?
8. Why should a prospect choose you ahead of them?
Unless you know this information, inside and out, its impossible to formulate your marketing strategy. Which means, your marketing efforts will never pay off.
Understand this, a competitor is someone who's getting your prospects to work with them, thus lowering your potential profits.
Is this something you like and want to allow to continue? NO!
That means you've got to know about all of your competition, who they are and how they work. You must do your research.
You need to gather key information about your competition in order to answer the questions above. Here are possible ways to do this
Get Yourself On Relevant Mailing lists (Including Your Competition's)
Subscribe To (Or Get) Periodicals They Are Running Ads In
Ask Their Current Customers Questions About Your Competition
Ask A Friend To Call Up And Request Information About Your Competitors.
Also remember this: being anxious and worried about your competition will do you no good at all. Learn from them. Understand what they do, what works for them and how it can work for you.
Some of you will be competing against the strongest and most successful salespeople in your area SO WHAT? They werent always successful. Quite honestly, they are the easiest to knock off, so go for it!
As a final note on this subject, remember there truly is more business to be bought and sold in this big world than any of us could possibly do, so don't get too caught up in worrying about your competitors. You'll have plenty of business if you learn how to market yourself effectively.
A key to marketing yourself effectively is to follow the next Success Step
Understand The Problems Of Your Prospects And Sellers, And How You Can Solve Them
If you want to succeed in marketing your business, you must understand that you are not selling anything; YOU ARE SOLVING A PROBLEM FOR A PROSPECT!
However, you can only solve a prospects problem if you understand the problems they have. No one is really interested in your service, they are only interested in getting a solution to a specific problem that they have.
So, solve your prospects problems for them and you'll make the big bucks!
Ask yourself these questions everyday and keep them forever forefront in your mind for each and every market you approach:
1)"Do I understand what is bothering my prospect?"
2)"Do I understand what my prospect wants to achieve?"
3) "How do I know for sure?"
To be a marketing success, you must walk a mile in your prospects shoes to better understand the answers to these questions.
You can only succeed to the extent that you understand precisely what bothers your prospect and precisely what your prospect wants to achieve.
Don't get caught up in what you think your prospect needs or wants. No one uses a person in this profession because they NEED him or her. They only use you because they WANT some specific outcome.
You must understand that your success is based on your ability to solve the problems of your prospects in any market you go after. You need to come to understand their innermost desires, dreams, anxieties, passions, and problems.
You need to care about these people and you must sincerely want to help make their lives better... one at a time.
Really, when it comes right down to it, the attitude you need to create successful marketing is that of a salesman who's got a long-term commitment to keeping his/her clients happy. If he/she doesn't keep 'em happy, he/she won't make any residual income, and will have to keep re- inventing the wheel every month.
Do you follow me?
Think about it for a second
If you're really hoping to make serious money in this business, you're going to do everything you can to make sure your clients are happy and content. The only way to do this is to really know what they want from you, NOT what you want to give them.
If you'll put yourself into that state of mind, and completely understand what Im saying here, you'll have come to know the attitude it takes to create winning marketing.
In order to create marketing that sells, you have to adopt this empathetic attitude. Grab your dictionary and take a look at the word empathy.
My dictionary says: Identification with and understanding of the thoughts or feelings of another."
In plain English, this is what good salesmanship and marketing is all about!
Read that definition again!
Do you see the power and truth revealed in it?
That, my friend, is exactly what great marketing is all about, being empathetic!
You see, if you identify with and understand the feelings, hopes, and anxieties of your target market, you're going to be able to deliver what THEY want and need!
But first, you've got to understand them. You have to tap- in to their thoughts, feelings, hopes and desires in order to help you create marketing that sells.
Essentially, what I'm saying is you must be sensitive and understanding as to what each individual prospect wants. The fears and hopes of a scared, first-timer type of client, are much different than an older, seasoned-veteran type of client.
In addition, I think youll agree that a single man or women will have a different demeanor than a married couple will. You must listen and understand each prospect uniquely. Its the only way to reach the next level in your career.
As I think about it, that's probably not going to be easy to do for some people reading this material.
But, if you're serious about wanting to succeed in making tons and tons of money and becoming a true success, you've got to get serious about serving, caring about, and getting to know, people.
Empathize with people.
Go out of your way to show your concern for people. Create marketing that solves their problems, and focus on them. Once you do, you will succeed big time!
Avoid Using Expensive Advertising - Always Use Less Expensive Options
If you choose to run ads in newspapers, daily or weekly shoppers, grocery cart ads, magazine ads, full-page ads, and the like, you are destined to lose money, unless you've tested and proven those media to be profitable in your area and for your target market.
You must always test small, then rollout big. Sometimes your small test ads will be profitable and sometimes they will die. You must not try to analyze, rationalize or anything, just test!
The inexperienced salespersons will always buy some marketing gimmick that some Superstar sells and jump into it with both feet because it seems so easy for that guy. But Ill tell you something, if you go ahead without testing first, your guaranteed to be disappointed and lose money.
I always counsel my clients to find the least expensive way to reach their prospects and test marketing approaches.
For Example:
Instead of running a full-page magazine ad thats guaranteed to work because the Superstar says so, test the headlines, layout and copy of the ad on a smaller scale - maybe 1/8 or 1/4 page.
Instead of sending a new direct mail piece or postcard to a 2000 person database, send the card to only a couple hundred to check response, or use it as a mail stuffer for the local paper at 5 cents a piece (vs. 40+ cents a piece).
Instead of paying by the hour to call for you, pay them per appointment or sale. There is more in it for them and youre only paying for performance.
Instead of running seminars and paying the entire marketing budget yourself, coop with other vendors and run your seminar jointly.
These are just a few money-saving ideas (if you use them) that will save you hundreds and thousands of dollars spent on untested and unproven marketing ventures.
Youve got to be proactive about this. You've got to think hard and long about your objectives, which is to spend the least amount of money for the greatest possible return!
Create Client-Centered" Advertising Materials
People who try to further their name recognition, their company, their accomplishments and everything else with useless marketing communications waste too much money every year.
All too many of these marketing efforts forget to:
Focus on your prospects:
Show your prospect that you understand their anxieties and aspirations
Offer a compelling incentive to induce them into action
Make it easy for them to get the information they are looking for right now
Talk to your prospects as though you were sitting across from them at a table
Remind your Buyer and Seller prospects of their problems and have a solution
Provide complete details about what your prospects have to do to get the benefit you are offering
Remind your prospects what will happen if they dont take action
These are things you cannot afford to forget in your marketing efforts. These basics must be in your ads, letters, postcards, scripts, telemarketing calls, seminars, display and classified ads. After you have completed the basics, then you may consider putting in graphics, pictures of yourself and other "less important" stuff.
Always Ask For What You Want
More times than I can remember, I have been in consultations, trainings and conference calls where my clients tell me they dont even ask their prospects for what they want.
Think about that...it's crazy!
Why bother to work hard to get new business, if you're not even going to ask your prospects for what you want? Maybe the sale, maybe a referral, maybe a chance to do business, maybe an appointment, maybe something else... but you DO want something, right? You have to learn to ask for what you want!
If you know you offer a good service, it is your RESPONSIBILITY to tell them about it and ask for what you want.
If they don't use your services today, you must keep asking them for what you want for as long as it takes. Have you ever heard of the old saying, Keep asking till they buy or die? When you think about that, it really is your duty to get them to take action. You are a problem solver, not just a salesperson.
Further, if they wont tell you why they arent using your services, you need to find out why that is, and under what circumstances they will. You must know.
Marketing is the art of finding out what the prospect needs and letting him/her know you can get it for him/her.
Do not think that an appointment is finished until you have specifically asked him/her to use your services.
Be Persistent In Your Marketing Efforts
This is the Success Step that you must engrave on your forehead! You must internalize this and live by it if you want to succeed on a large scale in sales:
MARKETING IS A DAILY ACTIVITY - IT IS NOT SOMETHING YOU DO ONCE AND THEN GET RICH!
Never forget this.
Persistence is the key to marketing success.
Once you've identified your target market, you've got to connect with them over and over again, letting them know you have the solution to their problems and needs.
You are the one they need to eliminate their anxieties.
The prospects you approach will not always take action the first time they hear about you. They must be exposed to you and your service over and over again.
There's a general rule for how many times you should contact your prospects:
AT LEAST SEVEN TIMES WITHIN 18 MONTHS using a variety of marketing means:
Direct mail (letters, postcards, stuffers) Telemarketing Free publicity Print ads (classified or display) Seminars Television Workshops Any and all other alternatives
Only after you've made a connection 7 times in 18 months can you drop them (unless they give you some other proof they're not a qualified prospect) and be assured your prospects know about you and how you can help.
By then a significant portion of your market will have taken action themselves or passed your name on to a referral. This "rule of seven" is something you must live by.
You must consider it when developing your marketing plan. Successful salespeople understand and profit from the rule of seven. Unsuccessful salespeople expect outstanding results from a single mailing, ad or seminar.
Stop and think about that. It's kind of ridiculous to expect that a one time anything is all it takes to build a successful business. Don't forget, no one is as excited about your service as you are.
You can't expect even a small fraction of your prospects to be as enthusiastic about your service as you are.
Success in marketing is daily, persistent work. Those who succeed in marketing know this. They are clear about who they're selling to, their prospects wants and needs, and the time and expense it takes to reach their prospects on a consistent basis; in a way that'll get them to take action and use your problem solving service.
Conclusion
Now you have the basics of marketing that allow you to profit in your business on a continuing basis. Others without this information will fail, die and blow away, losing the dream which once so brightly burned within them.
Marketing Madness: The 12 Reasons Why Most Sales Professionals Fall Flat On Their Face, Costing Themselves a Fortune Instead of Making Money Hand Over Fist!
Introduction
Creating winning marketing is an art and a science. You don't have to be great to market your business effectively, but I'll let you in on a powerful truism
You Must Be A Good Sales Person
If you can sell well, you're More than halfway to creating winning marketing! Marketing is selling, just without YOU being there!
In this section, I'm going to cover the marketing mistakes made by 99% of all salespeople.
Use the information revealed in this section and you'll be head and shoulders above 99% of all your competition.
I'm not tooting my own horn here either! Thousands of my clients have proven these marketing techniques work. They'll work for you if you use them.
Every sales professional needs this information, but you're the lucky one that's reading it right now. You're the one with the potential to put these ideas to work in your marketing efforts!
If you doubt that other salespeople do a bad job, Ill just have to ask you to trust me. After you've studied this section a few times, start to collect all of the marketing materials already out there. Get advertising pieces by all kinds of sales professionals and you'll see what I mean. It will make even more sense to you once you do this.
These ideas work. I use them daily in crafting persuasive marketing and advertising documents. You need to know the mistakes that are typically made, so you won't make them. This section will guarantee your marketing efforts won't be full of the all-too-typical mistakes so evident everywhere you look.
There's nothing clever here folks, just strong common sense marketing that works. Clever doesnt sell. Read on and you'll discover what you need to do to ensure your marketing efforts work.
You will do well if you study this section inside and out!
Mark it up.
Study it time and time again. It will bring you marketing success.
Once you've had some success in using these ideas, I welcome your success story. It excites me to discover I may have helped someone else succeed to any degree. I love it! Success breeds success!
Now, lets learn the mistakes you must avoid in every marketing effort you make:
The 12 Reasons Why Most Sales Professionals Fall Flat On Their Face, Costing Themselves A Fortune Instead Of Making Money Hand Over Fist!
I. You Think You Need (or You Already Have) "Image" Or "Institutional" Advertising Instead Of Direct Response Advertising
2. You Offer No Unique Benefit That Will Attract Prospects To You Instead Of Your Competition
3. You Don't Use Powerful Headlines To Stop Your Prospects Dead In Their Tracks And Pull Them In To The Rest Of The Ad
4. You Don't Tell Your Prospect What's In It For Them - Instead, You Focus On You, Your Business, and What You're Selling.
5. You Don't Talk Directly To Your Prospect In A Conversational Tone, Using Specifics to Motivate
6. You Don't Open-Up With Your Prospects Problems & Frustrations
7. Your Marketing Pieces Are Too Boring To Motivate Anyone To Do Anything - They Don't Use Energetic, Exciting Action Words; They Have No Passion!
8. You're Scared To Create Marketing That Has A Lot Of Copy -- Instead, You Leave All The Compelling Benefits Out For Sake Of Your "Image"
9. You Don't Use Testimonials
10. You Don't Provide Your Prospect With A Compelling Reason To Respond To Your Proposition NOW -- Tell
Them In Precise, Step-By-Step Detail What He Has To Do To Take The Next Step In Your Sales Process!
11. You Don't Look At Marketing As A Unified, Synergistic Team Of Moneymaking Tools And Strategies -- Instead, You Look At Yourself & Marketing As Two Separate Functions, With Separate Goals.
12. You Focus On Your Credentials Instead of Focusing On What Your Credentials Can Do For Your Prospect
Now, let's take a look at each of these money- sucking mistakes, and discuss exactly what you have to do to overcome them:
1) You Think You Need (or You Already Have ) "Image" Or "Institutional Advertising Instead Of Direct Response Advertising.
Have you ever seen an ad that looked and read something like this: A large, full color piece with the salesperson in an expensive suit sitting on top of a cherry-wood desk with a pen in his mouth (looking as though he is thinking about something) or a folder in his hand (looking like he is reviewing important documents).
The caption in the ad reads John Doe - A True Professional: Hard At Work & Committed To Excellence! Or maybe the caption reads, John Doe - Serving Your Needs Since 1982! Or maybe the caption reads, John Doe - I Sell More Than Anyone!
Have you ever seen something like this? Of course you have, because that is whats out there. What a waste of money, time, and marketing! Terrible, terrible! All of the people who use this type of marketing could use a lesson or two in effective marketing!
There are several mistakes that can be made in marketing and I think these types of pieces make every single one of them! I don't think that talking about yourself, how long youve been in the business or an overused slogan is going to help you sell your service.
This is called Image or Institutional Advertising. Whatever you want to call it is fine. I call it a waste of your money!
When people decide to become agents, there are many who think they have to advertise like the Superstars do.
Why? Because its how they do it. They dont know the real numbers behind this type of advertising. Think about it, if you spend $1,000 on Image advertising and you make a $2,000 commission, is it really working? I dont think thats the kind of return youre looking for, is it?
Let's face it, there aren't many of us who have money to burn, yet, if you choose to use Image advertising, you may as well burn-up a huge stack of one hundred dollar bills, because that's essentially what you're doing when you run Image ads or create Institutional marketing pieces.
Image marketing has several downfalls:
Its a complete waste of your money.
As a smart businessman or businesswoman (no matter how successful may or may not be), you need to watch every dime you invest in marketing.
Yes, I said "Invest in marketing." That's because marketing is an investment, and it can pay-off bigger than anything you can dream of on Wall Street, but it will never pay-off if you use Image marketing!
Your advertising must be held accountable. That's why you should to use direct-response advertising.
2. Image advertising does virtually nothing to make more money, and unless youve got deep pockets or are on an ego trip, you're never going to get top of mind awareness" (or anything else for that matter) using this method of marketing. But, with direct-response ad- vertising, you will get results.
If you can sell well, you can create marketing that works.
The problem is, most people do "cutesy" marketing pieces. Maybe they dress up in some costume or they are
pictured running with their briefcase. Ive seen Realtors in a picture with a milk mustache saying, Got a Professional _____? (Copying the milk ads that feature famous celebrities saying Got Milk?). All of these are a total and complete waste of time and money. Dont do them if you want bottom-line, dollar for dollar results.
The truth is, most of these types of ads are somewhat entertaining and humorous (Ill even outright giggle at times), but the fact is that profitable marketing really has nothing to do with entertaining people. The down and dirty reality is that the only purpose for marketing is to make money. The only way to make serious money is to get your prospects to take action, not laugh!
The sole purpose of marketing is to make money or to get your prospects to take the next step. I suspect that's what you want to do... Make Money!
Using Image advertising is one of the worst traps sales professionals fall into. As a matter of fact, a good 99% of all people I talk to or come across don't understand the difference between Image marketing and direct response advertising.
Image marketing and advertising has nothing to do with getting the customer to take action. Sure, the Top Producers will argue that point by saying
"It motivates prospects to action because by seeing my ad over and over again it creates Top of Mind Awareness! When your name is at the top of your prospects mind, whenever he or she needs you, they know right where to go!"
That may sound good in theory, but in practice it just doesn't work as accountably and as effectively as direct response advertising!
Image advertising has serious drawbacks.
Honestly, I don't recommend any agent ever use Image advertising!!!
Why?
Direct response advertising is better! Any person can use direct response advertising and get better results than Institutional Advertising! Image marketing focuses solely on you, your slogan, or something clever, funny or cute. Direct response advertising focuses entirely on the prospect, what's in the deal for them, and how to solve their problems with the services you're selling.
What you've got to keep in mind is the fact that people don't care a bit about you, your slogan, or anything else about you until you've shown them how what you offer will benefit their life in one way or another.
All they care about is what unique benefit, advantage, service, or personal enhancement you offer that somebody else doesn't. Answer these questions
How am I going to improve their lives?
How am I going to make their lives easier?
They want to know how you're going to enhance the quality, value, enjoyment and profitability of their lives. Very few people truly understand that!
People just don't care what YOU want!
All the things you do in marketing and in selling should only be addressing the benefits you're giving your customer, because they don't care about YOU. They just want to know what's in it for them.
However, they do want to know you're qualified to help them. So, in your advertising, you must credential yourself. If you've got a special expertise and people don't appreciate it, find a way to explain it.
If you've sold more _____ than anyone in your area, you've been around longer than anyone else, you're a specialist in _____, take advantage of that and credential yourself.
In everything you do, give people reasons why they should believe in you, so they'll use your services.
Institutional marketing and advertising (the practice of doing anything simply to keep your name in front of the public) is a big joke.
Institutional marketing is ineffective, non-traceable, and a waste of your time and money. These ads are totally ineffective and accomplish nothing more than transferring your money from your bank into the bank of the newspapers, magazines or direct mail wanna-bes.
I work to get my clients to understand this marketing and advertising is salesmanship multiplied. It's either salesmanship in print, salesmanship on the air, or salesmanship in the mail.
Marketing and advertising is not a bunch of unclear, un- motivating, off-the-wall statements that say nothing, make no case, or compel no one to action. Sadly, few salespeople truly understand the reason for running an
ad. I'll say it once, and you'll hear me say it again I'm sure
The only reason YOU ever create marketing is to stimulate a direct and immediate response -- either a qualified inquiry, phone call or an appointment or better yet, to promote an instant buy or sell. Nothing else is worthy of your hard-earned money!
How do you tell the difference between an Image marketing piece and a direct-response marketing piece?
That's easy...An Image marketing piece is not traceable in any specific way. Its purpose is merely to put your name, or your companies name or message, in front of the general public.
On the other hand, a direct-response marketing piece is traceable. It asks your prospect to respond in some way by phone, mail, coupon, etc., so you can measure the effectiveness of a direct-response marketing piece.
1) When you run a direct response ad, you know within a few days whether it worked or not. With Image marketing, you can't tell where your business is coming from.
Direct-response advertising will keep you from throwing your money away because you can measure whether or not your creations are effective. After all, if your marketing isn't converting into closed transactions at a dollar amount equivalent to their overall worth, you might as well stop running that particular marketing. Doesn't that make sense?
And unless you know the purpose of marketing and how to create profitable pieces, I don't think you should be marketing at all, because all youll end up doing is throwing away your hard earned money.
When running direct response marketing, you must make sure you keep track (write it down) of everything:
1. The positioning (the page number and position the ad appeared on) 2. The basic appeal of your ad 3. The headline 4. What action you asked for 5. Any other information that'll help you come up with a better marketing piece next time you test.
You must constantly analyze your marketing. What does it say? How does it say it? The headline? The offer? The action you direct the prospect to take? The costs? The closings? After your analysis tells you which offer, headline and approach worked best, try to beat it with a better marketing piece!
The kind of moneymaking leverage you can get from direct response marketing and advertising is incredible. It just can't be done with straight Image marketing, so don't do it!
2) You Offer No Unique Benefit That Attracts Prospects To You And Not Your Competition
Think about this, why do you go to the certain few restaurants that you go to? Its probably "Because they offer unique environment, food, or service.... I get some respect."
Now, even though most restaurants don't know what makes them unique, I'd bet the reason you go to those few certain restaurants is because of their individual uniqueness.
The same thing is true of the people who do business with you. You give something unique to the those who chose to do business with you.
Most salespeople fail to identify and promote their uniqueness, but not you, not any more.
Once you define what's unique about you and your services, you will take business from your competition. This will happen because the unique benefit is desirable, and because you've taken the time to define this uniqueness. This uniqueness is often defined as a "Unique Selling Proposition" or a USP.
Your Unique Selling Proposition will help you shine as a real estate agent. Later on in the course, I will go into great detail about USP's, how to figure what yours should be, and more.
3) You Don't Use Powerful Headlines To Stop Your Prospects Dead In Their Tracks And Pull Them In To The Rest Of Your Classified, Display and Magazine Ads.
Your classified, display and magazine ads will go absolutely nowhere 99.9% of the time without a compelling headline. Your headline must do most of the work. If your headline doesn't get your prospects attention and pull them into what you've written, he'll throw it away, turn the page or tune it out!
It doesn't matter how powerful, how good, how appealing or how wonderful your ad looks. If the headline doesn't stop your prospect dead in their tracks, they won't read your great marketing work of art!
Give headlines more attention than you do your copy or graphic design. Headlines are crucial to your classified, display and magazine ad's success.
As I see it, the purpose of the headline is to snag your specific prospects interest
Give your headline all the attention it deserves, because your prospects see hundreds of such headlines a week in the form of mailers, classified ads, display ads and magazine ads. Yours better be good, and better stop your prospects dead in their tracks!
A good headline will:
1. Talk directly to your prospect. They stop him in his tracks because they yell out THIS IS FOR YOU! HERE'S THE SERVICE YOU NEED!"
Sound silly? It's true. If your headline doesn't do this, it's missing the mark by a mile.
2. Promise a benefit. This benefit may be implicit or explicit, but it must be in the headline in order to snag your prospects attention.
3. Let your prospect know that there's a powerful benefit simply for reading the ad!
Tell me, do your headlines currently face up to these criteria?
If they don't, you've got to change them, even if you have to chuck that $4000, 4-color brochure in the garbage. You have to do it! That beautiful 4-color brochure won't sell a thing if it doesn't have a prospect-focused, benefit-packed headline that grabs their attention!
Later in this course, you'll learn in great detail about headlines; how to create them, how to use them, and everything else you need to know in order to start making
your marketing more powerful and profitable with headlines!
4) You Don't Tell Your Prospect What's In Your Offer For Him. Instead, You Focus On You, Your Business, And What You're Selling!
This is the most often committed mistake on this list. Salespeople everywhere, everyday, focus their marketing on themselves. They talk about how long they've been in business, how many ____ they have sold, who they work for, and on and on! None of it focuses on the prospects they are going after!
Just today I had a flyer left on my doorknob by a Realtor out walking the streets. This marketing tactic can work, if it uses the right approach and contains the right offer.
Take a look at the headline this agent put on top of his flyer:
"I am pleased to introduce myself as the neighborhood specialist"
Did you notice the focus? I am pleased to introduce MYSELF...." Theres no focus on whats in it for the prospect, which means no sale!
Please understand, this guy has a great marketing idea or plan; getting his info, flyer and message into the hands of his target market inexpensively. At two to three cents per flyer, or even ten cents if he had someone do the hanging for him, its a great way to market your service!
However, when it comes to the headline he used, he fell apart at the seams!
PLEASE UNDERSTAND
Every Advertisement You Create, Every Marketing Piece You Produce, Must Focus On Your Prospect And The Benefits He Gets From Doing Business With You!
Everything from full-page ads costing hundreds or thousands of dollars per run, down to three cent flyers, should focus on your prospects and should list the benefits they get from doing business with you!
It's that simple.
When you do talk about yourself in your marketing pieces, talk about yourself in terms of what your prospect gets.
Look at it from the prospects point-of-view. What does he want to know? He wants to know you'll give him the benefits hes looking for and that youre the one who can deliver them.
Great service, a quick sale, competitive prices, reasonable rates, good communication, consistent updates, strong sales, negotiation skills and prompt attention are just a few of the benefits you offer, so put them into your marketing pieces.
Your prospect wants to know, "What's in it for me?" Therefore, you must continually answer that question, even when you're talking about yourself.
5) You Don't Talk Directly To Your Prospect In A Conversational Tone; Using Specific Facts, Numbers, Quotes, And Details To Convince And To Motivate.
Talking directly to your prospect is important. All of your marketing efforts should sound one-on-one. People like doing business with people. They dislike doing business with powerhouse salespeople who dont give the time of
day, put them on hold for hours, or talk on their cell phone every where they go.
This is why you've got to make your marketing sound like it's coming from you when youre sitting across from them at the kitchen table.
The best marketing is created for a specific person with a specific problem, coming from a specific person with specific solutions.
Just remember your marketing will be read by one person at a time, that means you should talk directly to that person as if you were sitting across from them at the table.
Creating your marketing in a conversational tone has got to be one of the easiest of all the mistakes to overcome.
Simply put, when you're creating a marketing piece, talk in a conversational tone to your prospects. People will be more comfortable with what you are trying to convey if you talk in a conversational tone.
Use simple words and sentences, making your point easily understood. Try not to use big words. Break your words down to their simplest expression.
People like doing business with other people. They don't like doing business with big, super-busy, going 120 miles an hour all the time" people. They want to know that behind that marketing piece, there is a caring, sincere, likable person.
Now, lets talk about being specific in your marketing.
There's one key rule you need to remember in youre all your marketing endeavors, Generalities Don't Sell - Specifics Do!
Ill go into greater detail later in the course, but the more specific you can be about the benefits your prospects will enjoy, the more effective your marketing will be.
For example, instead of saying:
"Sell Your Home Faster Using XYZ Realty!"
You should say:
"Sell Your Home 32 1/2 Days Faster And For $1,850 More With XYZ Realty. Call For Details Today!"
It's obvious, isn't it? Look at the difference in the impact the specific headline has over the general headline! This will have a strong impact on your prospect, and thus, on your marketing success!
In every marketing piece you create, you must make sure you don't fall into the trap of "getting by" with vague, overused generalities. Sometimes, it will take some effort and time to come to the specifics, but its time and effort well spent.
You're going to have to start being more responsible about taking care of your customers, because that is where you'll get most of the specifics you need, by interviewing your current and past clients.
You need to call them, interview them and find out
How much money did they save by using your service?
How much time did they save by using your service?
How quickly did you help them and how does that compare to the competition?
What's the specific reason they chose you?
How much stress and anxiety did you relieve them of?
The questions you should ask are endless. Every person out there needs to have a full list of these types of questions. In fact, why dont you take the time right now to create one?
Being conversational in your marketing is the most powerful thing you can do to increase the response you get. You'll learn more about how to create and use some specifics, which ones to use, when and where to use them, later in the course.
6) You Don't Put Your Prospects Problems, Frustrations Or Anxieties In your Marketing
One of the most powerful ways to begin any type of marketing program is to remind your prospect of the problems, frustrations or anxieties they're facing. Prey upon their fears and worries. Make them feel as though the worst might happen if they dont take action now!
Most people have some discomfort in making big financial decisions because it usually involves a lot of money and planning. Plus, they rely so heavily on good representation that a ton of stress is typically laid on your shoulders. If you focus on this, making sure they feel it deep down, and you let them know you have the answer that will solve their discomfort, you'll have a powerful marketing approach.
7) Your Marketing Is Too Boring To Motivate Anyone To Do Anything. You Don't Use Energetic, Exciting Action Words. Your Marketing Has No Passion!
You must be excited about what you offer or you may as well not be in business. You are destined to fail.
You must be excited about your service. If you're not excited about it, how in the world do you think your prospect is going to get excited about working with you?
And when I say, "excited," what I really mean is passionate! You need to be passionate in your marketing efforts. Don't be afraid to say something controversial. Say it, and stand your ground with passion!
Passion is an element missing in too many marketing campaigns. Because of this, passion becomes an incredible advertising tool to help you get your prospect motivated to take action.
I think you'd agree most marketing is flat-out boring. It couldnt possibly motivate anyone to do anything, except turn the page or throw it in the trash.
Your marketing must exude energy. Of course, it depends on the approach you're taking as to how that energy flows. Nonetheless, energy and passion sells, while being boring dont!
In this manual, you're going to learn several key things about passion and energy in marketing. I think you'll be surprised at the difference it can make in the success of your marketing.
8) You're Afraid to Create Marketing That Says A Lot. Instead, You Leave All The Compelling Benefits Out For The Sake Of Your "Image."
Let's set things straight right here and now, the only reason you're in this business is to make money. You do this by providing a quality service that benefits people in ways they can't find anywhere else, a service people
come to you for. They think they can't live without, so they must use you!
This being the case, why is it so many people fail to present their entire sales proposition in their marketing?
I dont have the first clue! But now, this won't be you anymore.
A key to successful marketing is this
You need to present your entire case when you present an offer to a prospect. If you fail to answer a certain prospects question or concern, you've lost the sale. Chances are, there will be more of these same types of prospects.
I can't tell you how many marketing consultations I've done where the person created these incredible 4-color, graphic masterpieces. They call them "personal brochures or profiles. I often call them "garbage"!
Having a Graphically Gorgeous Marketing Piece (and I dont care what it is) Will Not Make You A Lot Of Money. It May Win You The Best Known Salesperson In The World Award, But As For Real Sales, I Dont Think So!
9) You Don't Use Testimonials
Unless prospects are lined up outside your door, jamming your office wanting to buy from you, you will never sell your service to the degree someone who has used your service can.
Testimonials should do most of the work for you. When acquiring testimonials, try to get as many specifics as possible.
Using testimonials can reduce fear as well, especially if you use specific names, numbers, etc. Avoid the vague testimonials you see most of the time, like:
"Nice Job, John. We would definitely use you again!" P.T. Denver
This type of testimonial is unspecific and useless. As a matter of fact, this type of testimonial is actually harmful to your marketing efforts. It causes your prospect to think consciously or subconsciously, "Well, if P.T. is so happy with John, why didn't they give their whole name and leave a number?"
It leads the prospect to believe there never was such a person! This hurts your credibility and will cost you the sale. I guarantee it, people want to be reassured they are making the right decision when they work with you. Spe- cific testimonials are a powerful tool to help reduce a prospects anxiety.
When you ask for testimonials, make sure it's OK with your prospect to use their quote, name, address and phone number. That way, you can use their quote at "full power." There's nothing weaker than a testimonial with only initials and no specific information.
10) You Don't Provide Your Prospect With A Compelling Reason To Respond To Your Proposition NOW. Tell Them In Precise, Step-By-Step Detail What He Has To Do To Take The Next Step In Your Sales Process!
If your prospect, after reading your marketing materials, takes the next step towards using your services, you have succeeded. If he's not motivated to act, then your marketing has failed.
Pretty simple, isnt it?
This means that every marketing document you create must always give the prospect an invitation, and a reason, to ACT NOW!
Don't just tell the prospect to act, though, tell them WHY to act
For example:
"Pick up the phone now to solve your greatest problem in _________!"
"Schedule an appointment today to see our new _______!"
In order for your marketing communications to succeed, you must talk about your prospect continuously. That's all they're interested in.
They want to hear about themselves.
Every thought and word in your marketing must clearly show, above all else, that you are thinking only of the prospect and what he or she wants. It should assure them that you'll do what it takes to solve their problem(s), if only they contact you NOW!
You must, in no uncertain terms, tell your prospect exactly what to do to take action. If you want them to call, tell them to call.
"If you're serious about ______ in the next in the next 30 days, you owe it to yourself to get my fact-filled _____! Pick up the phone right now and dial these 10 little digits, XXX-XXX-XXXX. Ask for me and Ill send you this FREE, informative gift today!
That's pretty clear, isn't it? There's no question in the persons mind as to what they're supposed to do in order to get the benefit they want, or to solve the problem they
have! And, it's worded in a compelling fashion. It tells them what to do.
11. You Don't See Marketing As A Unified, Synergistic Team Of Moneymaking Tools And Strategies. Instead, You See Yourself And Marketing As Two Separate Functions With Separate Goals.
This is a critical mistake. You must understand that your marketing (in all its forms) works hand in hand together as your sales team.
It shocks me to see how many people out there talk to prospects differently in person than they do through their marketing efforts. This is wrong.
In sales, your marketing and advertising should be the same in person, over the phone, on a postcard, in an ad, at a seminar, and any other way you can think of. Its all the same. Nothing changes except the medium.
Make sure all your sales presentations, marketing efforts, and advertising campaigns are in synch.
12) You Focus On Your Credentials Instead of Focusing On What Your Credentials Can Do For Your Prospect
Ive stressed this several times already, but just as another reminder to you, in all your advertisements and marketing efforts, talk about yourself in terms of what your prospect gets from you.
Think about it: What does your prospect care to know?
He wants to know youll give him the benefits you say you can deliver, and the benefits he wants you to deliver. Your prospect continually wants to know, "What's in it for me?
Therefore, you must continually answer that question, even when you're talking about yourself.
Your prospect wants to know what you can do for him; not how many degrees you have, where you got them, when you got them, or anything else 99% of all salespeople push. No one cares about any of that kind of stuff until they know what's in it for them.
I'll be telling you exactly how to take your credentials and "frame" them in a way that shows your prospect what's in it for him later on in the course when we talk about features and benefits.
Right now, just know that if you've got a certain designation, you need to realize that your prospects don't give a you know what about them, until you tell them what benefits those credentials will deliver to them!
You'll learn how to do that in the next section of this course. It's an easy, yet important concept to understand and use.
Conclusion About Marketing Madness: The 12 Reasons Why Most Salespeople Fall Flat On Their Face, Costing Themselves A Fortune Instead of Making Money Hand Over Fist!
There you have them. If you'll follow these rules, you can rest assured your advertising and marketing documents will be read.
As I challenged you at the onset, begin collecting marketing samples of all sorts. Make note of what you like about them. Note what works. Test them against the guidelines in this section of the book to see why they work, and you'll also begin to see these 12 mistakes popping up over and over again in most of the marketing materials you review.
It is your responsibility to learn these mistakes and avoid them like the plague. They are money-sucking wastes that you can now avoid. If you don't learn them and internalize them, your prospects will not get the solution to their problems from you, and you won't get that big, fat commission check!
That's what it all boils down to!
Now, I'd like to move on to a topic that's so incredibly important to your success in marketing, as well as sales in general, that without it youll go no where
Benefit Magic: The "Meat n Tators" of Winning Marketing!!!
Let me make the difference between features and benefits clear, right here and right now.
What is a Feature?
A feature is static -- it's the color, year built, size, style, layout, etc. of your product or service. Its also your degrees, years in business, company you work for, experience level, designations, awards youve won, etc.
What is a Benefit?
A benefit is what your prospects get from your features!
These two marketing definitions are two of the most important definitions you need to understand if you're going to create some advertising magic that brings in new prospects to work with.
Your prospects don't buy features, they buy the benefit that feature gives them. It's plain and simple, yet so many people seem to be hung-up on listing all the features of their product or service.
Features focus on you and your service (what it is).
Benefits however, are the specific results or outcomes your customer gets from your product or service (what it gives the customer).
People don't buy "things," they buy the results those "things" bring them. Things like happiness, making money, saving money, saving time, more safety, more security; and easier, simpler ways to do things.
That's why you absolutely must become a master at transforming features into benefits. You must learn how to take the individual features of you and your service, and turn them into compelling benefits that get prospects to take action and call you!
A key point you must always remember when creating marketing is this
Always Lead With Benefits, and Follow With Features! Yes, always.
That's because benefits tell your prospects what's in it for them. Features focus on you. Your prospects will always be interested FIRST, in themselves. They want to know, what's in it for me?
Once your prospect understands what's in it for him, then he might be interested in you. Most often, if you've focused on the benefits your prospect will get, they won't even care to know anything more about you, your company, your awards, or anything else! That's how persuasive benefits can be!
That's why you must take a careful look at each and every feature, and then turn them into powerful, motivating, compelling benefits.
Really, when you stop to think about this, it makes sense.
The reality is, when you open a magazine, or look in the mail, or read through the ads, most people don't even begin to do this. They focus on themselves and list boring feature after feature. When they do include a benefit, they usually dont use a specific, meaningful benefit.
Specific Benefits Sell - General Benefits Don't
Most of your benefits should be specific if you want them to pack a wallop. General benefits usually come across as "hype" and they're not half as compelling as a specific benefit.
How do you get specific?
One way to gather specifics is to gather your features together and examine the specific results they provide.
Just remember, your prospects will be asking questions about your general features and benefits:
I) So what?
2) Compared to what or whom?
3) Says who?
You need to back-up your general features and benefits by turning them into specific benefits! Unless you do, your prospects will write you off as a "typical salesperson" and nothing more.
What will enable you to deliver specifics instead of generalities? Your research! Your knowledge of your service and market. Your knowledge of the features you're selling, compared to what else is out there.
If you're going to be able to deliver specific benefits, you've got to
Know the features of what you are selling (you and your service).
Know the benefits of what your competition is selling! You must make sure to do your research carefully, continually and completely
Understand how the features of what you're selling relates to the benefits of what your prospects want
Prove to your target market how empathetic you are by placing their interests first (lead with benefits - follow with features) and backing up your benefits and claims with facts!
Using Your Competition to Prove Specific Benefits
Here's a slick little "ditty" that'll help you uncover specific benefits based on what your competition is already doing. The procedure goes something like this:
1) First, you make a list of your features and benefits
2) Next, you make a list of your competitors features and benefits.
3) Now, you make a comparison, uncovering the advantages your features and benefits offer your prospects that your competition doesnt!
4) Lastly, turn your comparison into moneymaking marketing materials that work. You can create a comparison chart, state it in bullet form, or simply in paragraph form.
This system is powerfully convincing! I hope you'll use it to your advantage.
As you can see, benefits are powerful motivators. Knowing this will give you a definite advantage because most people don't use benefits. Instead, they choose to get "creative" and clever, and they fall flat on their face!
Make It Clear and Never Assume Anything
When it comes to benefits, understand that you must state them clearly and precisely so there's no question in your prospect's mind about what benefits he gets.
Never assume your prospect will know what the benefits are. Don't think your prospects are smart enough to know what the benefits are of using your product or service.
You'll lose the sale!
You Must Never Assume People Can Figure Out On Their Own What Benefits They Get From Your Features.
Tell Them Clearly & Precisely what Benefit They Get From Each Worthwhile Feature!
Remember, the benefits your prospects get from you and what youre selling is the driving force behind all your marketing efforts. That being the case, how do you turn features into benefits?
First, let me say that this process is simple once you get the hang of it. It's also pretty fun!
The first thing to do is to create a list of all the features. Dont worry if you're not sure if it's a feature or a benefit, just make a list.
Now, take a look at each feature and ask yourself, "What does my customer get from this feature?" If the answer is a good, strong answer, write it down next to the feature.
Continue with this until you've done the entire list.
Next, you'll want to prioritize the list of benefits in order of importance from your prospect's point of view. Do this for marketing yourself at listing appointments and when creating advertisements.
You should know what your prospects priorities are. If you don't, you haven't done enough research. Why guess at it? Why not take the time to find out for sure?
What it boils down to is that you have to ask yourself, "What does my customer get from this feature?" The answer gives you the benefit. Understand though, not all
features can be turned into worthwhile benefits. Some benefits will not be used in your marketing materials.
Here's another way of turning features into benefits. Pretend you're a prospect for what you're selling. For each feature on your list, ask yourself these questions:
"What's in this feature for me?"
"What do I get from using this feature?"
"What benefit do I get from this feature?"
By answering these questions, you will find what the benefits are.
Benefits give you the selling power needed to create winning marketing. This is how you develop a super successful real estate career. Without benefits, you will not make many (if any) sales. That's the power of benefits!
Also understand that your prospects are interested in features. But by themselves, features will never sell you, your listings, or your service. Only benefits will do that because only benefits tell the prospect what advantages there are for him to take action!
So, benefits sell because benefits are about what your prospect gets, where features are about you and your service. In other words, features are usually "me-focused" instead of "prospect focused".
The heart and soul of creating winning marketing is understanding how to plaster-on benefit after benefit after benefit. Benefits answer the never-ending question, "What's in it for me?" That's the question your prospects will ask from now until forever!
Answer each question with what the benefits are and you'll get the business you deserve!
Conclusion to Benefit Magic: The Meat n Tators of Winning Marketing!
Remember, a feature is basically some part of you and your service.
A benefit is what the prospect gets from that feature, what the feature does for him! Features alone are virtually worthless and will basically do nothing to help you sell more.
Benefits put the focus on your prospects and what they get, and that's where the whole focus of your marketing should be... on your prospect
Ad Writing Magic: The Basics Of Creating And Writing Ads That Produce Deals!
INTRODUCTION
This section has been included for those who aren't very familiar with the process of creating and writing ads. I suggest everyone read it, even if you dont currently use ads in your marketing approach. It sheds some light on the subject of how I look at marketing and advertising.
Reading this will help you understand me better and where I'm coming from.
Even if you've never used ads to produce a deal in your life, this chapter will teach you all you need to know to get "up to speed."
Creating winning marketing for your brochures, ads, flyers, business cards or other communication, is critical to your success in this business. It's something you can learn to do.
At least I learned to do it, so assume you can too. Im going to give you the basics here.
This section is full of the tips, hints and techniques I have learned and proven for years, along with over 500 of my best clients from around the country.
Ads can be a powerful and inexpensive marketing tool if you do it correctly. There's nothing clever or elaborate. Everything's simple about the way I approach it. My philosophy is, "the simpler the better," when it comes to creating winning ads.
In this section you'll learn how to transform your ideas and features into benefits your prospects will want to act on.
We will also talk about using flyers, brochures, advertisements, postcards and newsletters and the like.
I'm sure you'll enjoy all of this, but there's one thing you've got to understand from the beginning.
No one will read or respond to your ads if you dont put their needs, wants, desires and passions first.
Your prospects are only interested in doing business with you to the degree that he understands what you can do for him.
You must be entirely unselfish in your marketing in order to create ads that produce deals.
In every word you write, every sentence you construct, every paragraph that goes into your advertisement, you must realize that your prospects desires, anxieties and aspirations must always come before your own.
This is the basic fundamental rule of successful ad writing. Its also something that very few people can do. If you doubt this is true, read through your local Sunday paper and notice all the bad ads that are there.
Compare them to what you learn in this section and you'll understand that there are very few good ad writers out there.
You've got to understand that successful ad writing is all about your prospect. It's about their dreams and desires. If you dont grasp this, don't bother trying to create your own ads and marketing materials, because you won't be able to.
Typical Mistakes You Must Avoid So You Can Write Powerful Ads
Hundreds and thousands of dollars are wasted every day on ads that are not focused on the prospect. Too many mistakes mean dissatisfied, un-motivated prospects, which means too many unprofitable salespeople.
The problem is:
1) Most ads: Do not focus on the prospect... they focus on the salesperson, the company, etc. A very selfish thing indeed!
2) Most ads: Assume the prospect is as excited to respond to you, your company, your offer, etc. as you are to sell! A false assumption if ever there was one!
3) Most ads: Try to be clever and creative. The minute you get clever with your copy is the minute you lose your prospect.
4) Most ads: Try to create a "professional image." This is ridiculous, but it happens all the time! Your professional image should always come second to THE PROSPECTS NEEDS, WANTS AND DESIRES. Nothing should be more important than your prospect, especially not "your image!
5) Most ads: Drone on and on about the features of a salesperson, instead of the benefits and what they can do for the prospect.
6) Most ads: Are deadly boring and dull. Copy should be written full of action, spunk and enthusiasm. It should move the prospect to action!
7) Most ads: Do not give the prospect a reason for acting NOW. After your prospect reads your ad they should be
so excited about the benefits they get, they drop whatever they're doing and take immediate action!
8) Most ads: Dont address the anxieties and aspirations of the prospect.
9) Most ads: Do not sell specific benefits to the prospect. For example, the best ads are stuffed with specific benefits for the prospect. For each individual market you target, your copy must be specific. Stop writing general ad copy.
These are only a few of the mistakes most salespeople make.
After you've created a new ad, turn back to these pages and test your ad against these listed mistakes.
If you've made any of these mistakes, weed them out! If you have to, start from scratch and re-create your whole ad.
By the way, get used to re-creating ads!
Transforming Your Features Into Benefits That Will Make Your Prospect Pick Up The Phone And Call You NOW!
Before I explain how to do this, I feel the need to re- emphasize this fact
If you don't know what your prospect wants to buy or why he wants your service, how are you going to sell it to them? You can't!
This is why theres a tremendous need to do your marketing research. If your preparation has been thorough, you stand a much greater chance of writing a successful ad.
As a matter of fact, its the key to creating a hot ad.
Having said that, let's assume you know what your prospect wants, why he needs you, and how to turn your features into benefits.
Features are the elements of what you're selling. The elements of your service that is desirable for your prospect. Features are all about you and your product. They define both.
Features are important, but only to the degree that they relate to a benefit the prospect gets from the feature.
Features will not sell your service, benefits will. Benefits describe the advantages to your prospect. Benefits are what cause a prospect to buy or use your service. Benefits are what your prospect gets from a feature.
Benefits answer the prospects biggest question "What's- in-it-for-me? Your prospect wants to know the answer to this question RIGHT FROM THE START, so tell him!
If you want to write successful ads, you've got to get good at transforming features into benefits.
One of the basic rules of successful ad writing is this...
You Must Always Lead With The Benefits, And Then You Follow With Features
Prospects always want to know what's in it for them first. After they know this, they may want to know the ins and outs of your service.
If you have a feature that doesn't offer a strong benefit, leave it out. Don't waste your time with it. You should never list features of your service as if they were, in and of themselves, something meaningful.
They aren't!
A feature is only meaningful if it tells your prospect what he gets from it. By their very nature, features alone don't do it. Once you grasp this, you are ready to begin the process of turning features into benefits.
When Creating An Ad That Sells Your Service Remember A Few Key Principles
People use your services because of what you've done for others who are like them, the results you've achieved for other people who have used your services.
Formal credentials are not synonymous with results. Results are always more important than credentials to your prospects.
Credentials are features, and features must be turned into benefits.
Some of the basic rules for telling your prospects about yourself and how "professional" you are go like this:
The professional salesperson is seen as a warm, welcome, helpful and interested, not self-interested and "untouchable."
The professional's credentials don't scare the prospect into using their services and they don't make the prospect feel insecure and unworthy of the professional. They reassure him about the professional and convince him that the professional is sensitive to the prospects needs and can help him solve his problems.
Each feature of the professional's resume is transformed into a lever that helps the prospect understand that this is the person he should work and is a person who will help achieve any desired objectives.
You cannot succeed if you are viewed as being untouchable, a "god" of sorts! So get down from any high horse you might be on and realize that your prospects want to deal with someone who is personable,
conversational, kind and gentle. Someone who will talk straight, in order to help them solve their problems.
If you want to create profitable ads that sell you and your service, these are the steps:
1) Write down all of the credentials you possess.
2) Put the credentials in context -- Tell your prospect what difference your credentials make to them.
3) Write down the kind of prospect you want to attract and work with.
4) Select the credentials that relate specifically to the prospect you want to have as a client.
Rules For Writing Ads That Motivate Your Prospect To Respond NOW!
Remember to continually ask yourself this question with each word or sentence you write, with each paragraph you finish:
Does This Get My Prospect To Act Now? If It Doesn't, It Should Be Pulled-Out And Thrown Away!
The purpose of your advertising is to get your prospect to respond NOW! If the copy does not accomplish this, it doesn't belong!
Never forget this!
No matter what anyone else says, ads should always be written so its focus is on the prospect, never on you or the service youre selling.
Put your ego aside and realize that you will win at ad writing if your focus is on your prospect, his desires, his wants, his interests, etc.
Let your prospect know that you have the solution to their problem and you understand what THEY are looking for. Prove it in your copy! To do this you must:
Identify With The Prospects Wants and Needs
Let Him Know You Have What He Is Looking For
Remind Your Prospect That The Problem Will Stay If He Doesn't Take Action To Get Rid Of The Problem
More basic rules for writing ads that sell:
1. Target your market specifically.
2. Write the ad as if you were writing to a specific person.
3. Read your copy as if you were the prospect. Consider it from his point of view.
4. Never assume your prospect understands what you are saying. Tell him specifically what it is you mean.
5. Make your copy short, spunky and full of energy. Use action words.
Avoid adverbs and adjectives. Using non-specific adverbs and adjectives indicates to your prospect that you don't have any specific facts or numbers to share about yourself, your property or anything else.
6. Make Your Copy Interesting. Write everything so it focuses on the prospect. This alone will make your copy interesting. If you write something not about the prospect, it doesn't belong!
7. Make your copy active. You want your prospect to take action, so your copy must breath action. You are basically saying to your prospect, "You're in this un- comfortable situation. You want to be in a better, more comfortable situation. I can get you in that situation. All you have to do is act NOW!"
8. Write your copy the way that people talk. Use sentence fragments. Use short sentences. Use one-word sentences.
9. Use emphasis devices to draw attention to words that are important, words which are more likely to get your prospects attention sooner.
* You can underline important words.
* You can make them bold.
* You can use asterisks to set them off.
* You can indent them.
* USE CAPITAL LETTERS.
* Use boxes, or other outlining devices
* Use different colors
Use anything that lets your prospect know that THIS IS IMPORTANT. READ ME! I'VE GOT A BENEFIT FOR YOU!
These emphasizing devices work, and will guide your prospects eyes across the page to the important messages you are trying to convey to them to get them to act in their own best interest.
10. This is a key rule to never forget
Always Lead With Benefits And Follow With Features.
Following this rule alone will increase your response significantly. Make sure the benefits:
Speak Directly To The Prospect
Excite Him
Frighten Him
Let Him Know What He Has To Do To Get The Benefit
11. Make it easy for your prospect to respond.
Dont hide your phone number by burying it deep in the text.
Writing ads that compel an immediate response is something anyone can do, if they work hard at it and follow the guidelines I have shared in this section.
These tips, hints and techniques I have learned and used with hundreds of clients across the country, will help you write ads that will get your prospect to call you NOW and use your service.
Magical Openings: How To Start Your Marketing Pieces To Get Your Prospect's Attention Immediately!!!
More than 95 percent of the marketing running today doesnt have headlines. Don't believe me?
Open any magazine, newspaper, direct mail piece or any other advertisement and look at it -- you'll be surprised.
Ninety percent of the success or failure of any marketing piece is the headline. Without a headline, your marketing is doomed to fail almost every time.
Headlines can increase your response as high as 2100% if they're on target, making powerful promises and/or benefits to your market.
If You're Serious About Creating Marketing Pieces That Sell, You Need To Spend The Time It Takes To Write At Least Two Dozen Headlines Every Time You Sit Down To Create A New Piece!
24? Really?
YES, at least that many.
I can show you files on my computer with hundreds of headlines I've created to go with display ads, sales letters, direct mail vehicles, newspaper ads, sales presentations, brochures, flyers... I save them all.
Why do I write so many headlines, or more importantly, why should you write that many headlines every time you sit down to create a new marketing piece?
Look at it like this, even if you think you've come up with a sizzling hot headline after writing only 5 or 10, if you take the time to write out another 15 or 20, you are likely to improve your best headline by 3 or 4 times.
In fact, chances are good that along the way, YOU will come-up with something much, much better!
Trust me, coming up with profitable marketing headlines takes more than just a few minutes. You've got to commit yourself to sitting down and writing out at least 24.
I'm going to help you do that right here. You'll get a few dozen headline words that work like magic, along with several "Headlines formulas" that are proven to work. These words and formulas will make it easier for you to come up with those 24 headlines.
Why? Simply because they are more important than you can possibly imagine.
Headlines are important because nearly 5 times as many people read the headline as opposed to the body of a marketing piece. Unless the headline effectively sells you and your service, compelling your target audience to jump in and read the rest of the ad, you are blowing the biggest part of your marketing budget.
Headlines should offer your reader a reward for reading the rest of the ad and pull them in to the rest of the body copy.
What Else Do Headlines Do?
Good headlines are important for several critical reasons:
They draw the attention of your target prospect and single out the audience you want to attract.
Your headline must practically reach out to your prospect, grab them by the throat and say, "Hey, I'm talking to you!" You want to attract only your target prospect! Attract the "foxes" and don't worry about offending the "dogs."
They communicate the strongest benefit(s) you and your service offers and speaks to the self-interest of your target prospect. It answers the important question we'll keep talking about: "What's In It For Me?
They deliver a clear, complete, understandable message, a message full of benefits. They will address your prospects self- interest, OR make a promise to overcome your prospects' frustrations, fears and anxieties.
They set the "tone" for the offer you're making. Sometimes, youll even put your offer right in the headline!
They will compel your prospect to keep reading. When done correctly, a proper headline will make them hungry to find out more, pulling them directly into the copy and getting them to read it all!
Perhaps most importantly, your headline will be the "ad for your ad. If your headline doesn't get your prospects to stop dead in their tracks and read what you have to say, its a waste of your time and money!
That's the job of your headline -- to get them going down the path towards taking the action you desire.
Your headline must work. Let me put it in a way that will help you understand what it means when your headline doesn't work....
If your headline doesn't work, your prospect doesn't read on. If they don't read on, it means you've wasted your time, effort, energy, and hard earned money. Every time you lose a prospect, you lose money.
Looking at it that way, doesn't it make good sense to spend the time necessary to write and rewrite at least 24 different headlines, if not more? It does to me!
Here are some guidelines and questions I ask myself when I create a great headline:
1. What am I trying to communicate to my target prospect?
2. Does my headline offer the reader a reward for reading the entire piece?
3. What is the BIG benefit I've got to promise my target prospect?
4. Is my "promise" believable?
5. What do I offer that will induce him to read my message NOW?
6. Have I written a headline that's going to motivate him to take action?
7. Am I being selfish by talking about my company, my production, and me or am I focusing on the benefits my prospect will get?
8. Am I staying focused, talking directly to one prospect, or is my ad speaking to any Buyer or Seller?
9. Is my headline interesting from my prospect's point of view?
10. Does my headline build on a frustration or problem that my prospect might have which I can solve?
11. Does my headline answer the question, What's In It For Me?
Essentially, headlines are the key to marketing success. If a prospect cant see what's in it for them, you won't get their attention and you definitely won't get their business!
With few exceptions, you must always have a headline that uses words and phrases that stops your target prospect in his tracks, gets him to start reading your material, and compels him to action.
The Best Way To Get Started Writing Headlines
The thing to remember when it comes to writing headlines is to simply write down everything you can think of. Look at your prioritized benefit list and write down everything that comes to mind.
Remember too, that you're writing to one person at a time. So make your headline talk directly to that person.
Brainstorming Winning Headlines
As I mentioned earlier, in order to get started writing your headline, you should have an "idea File" handy to go through and look at the headlines filed there. Jot down the headlines that make you excited about taking action on something you would buy or some service you would use.
Find ads, letters, postcards, direct mail pieces, brochures, flyers or anything else that grabs your attention. OPEN YOUR EYES - THERE ARE IDEAS EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK! The main thing to remember when it comes to creating headlines is just get things down on paper (or in your computer as I do). At this point, don't worry a stitch about getting it perfect.
This is a "brainstorming" session for headlines. As you probably know, you don't edit out anything when you brainstorm. You just get the ideas on paper and worry about cutting out the "losers" later.
STEP ONE: To create winning headlines, get out your Idea File and begin finding the winning headlines you like. Apply the same themes, words, and approaches to your marketing efforts, plugging-in your benefits and service. Get some words and ideas down on paper!!!
Doesn't it make sense to borrow ideas that are working and make them your own, than to sit and try to re-invent the wheel? Youll many good ideas in the appendix of this course, but I also want you to learn how to create your own reference library of great marketing ideas.
STEP TWO: The next step to take when it comes to creating headlines is to brainstorm some more. Except
this time you do it with a little twist by making it outrageous and fun.
The point is to have fun, be creative. Dont you think headlines like these will grab someones attention? Believe me, they will, because they are so different, so outrageous, so unique, that your prospects will have to stop and look.
Powerful Headline Words That Are Proven Effective
I feel like the absolute safest headline begins with the words: "How To". Although it's not very original or creative, the words "how to" immediately appeal to your target prospect's self-interest. As long as there are people, I think the words "how to" will always be powerful.
"How To" also arouses curiosity. If your benefit and promise are powerful, it's a sure bet your prospect will go on to read the rest of your ad.
With the words "How To," you immediately involve your reader in something they have an interest in.
I've used the How To headline so many times that I have lost count. I use it because it works. You should try it, too!
Here are my favorite power headline words:
1. Announcing 14. How Would 2. Advice To 15. Amazing 3. Yes 16. Here 4. Inside-Secrets of 17. This 5. The Truth About 18. Facts 6. Little-Known Secrets 19. Discover 7. Amazing Secrets 20. Only 8. Love 21. Breakthrough 9. New 22. Do You 10. How Much 23. Which 11. Which of 24. Sale 12. Now 25. At Last 13. Life 26. Bargains
And finally, the two most powerful headline words:
26. Free
27. You
Use them whenever you can. For obvious reasons, nothing sounds better to a prospect than FREE and YOU.
Your headline must stir an emotion in your prospect. It must strike a chord that gets your prospect excited or scared, or remind him of his problem or frustration for which you have the solution. That's why you need to use the words listed above. They will create intrigue and build passion.
Your headlines must motivate your prospects in one powerful way or another. You need to hit the nail on the head about their biggest problem, frustration or worry, or you need to hit smack-dab on their most desired benefit as it pertains to your service.
Conclusion:
Some key questions to ask yourself every time you decide which headline to use:
What are the message and the feeling of the message I want to communicate to my target prospect?
What is the strongest benefit I have to offer?
What is the strongest frustration I can build on to get my prospect interested?
What's the most compelling offer I can make and can it be stated clearly in my headline?
Have I written a headline that will motivate my prospect to keep reading?
Is my headline an "ad" for my ad, or is it just a plain- Jane, boring statement?
Is my headline speaking directly to my target prospect, or could a snake-breeder read it and think it was for him?
Am I focusing on my prospect and his wants, desires, fears or frustrations, or am I being selfish and talking about myself?
Will my headline be interesting to my prospect, or does it bore him?
Is my headline passionate? Does it use action words and not "fluff" adjectives?
Have I used specifics in my headline instead of generalities?
Have I thought about the headline, what I want to say and what I wish it to accomplish, or have I just written something because I had to?
Answer these questions each and every time you write an opening headline and you'll stay focused on writing powerful headlines that work.
The Magic Question Your Prospects Want Answered: "Why Should I Do Business With You Instead of Your Competition?"
Finding Your Unique Competitive Advantage and Blending It Into All Your Advertising and Marketing To Boost Immediate and Long-Term Response!
Most salespeople I consult with or talk to don't have a clue about the advantages of having an UCA. I've even had some who say to me, "You know, I don't get this UCA thing -- what's so powerful about it and why should I have one?
What is an UCA anyway? UCA stands for:
"Unique Competitive Advantage"
Simply put, your "Unique Competitive Advantage" (UCA) is the features or benefits that make you and your service stand out from your competition, and we all know that the competition is fierce. So having a UCA is crucially important.
It's what makes you and your service better than all your competitors. It's the "something different" that your prospects can't get anywhere else. In other words, it's only available from you.
Some people term it as a "USP" (unique selling proposition). Still yet, some call it a "SOB" (statement of benefit). Whatever you choose to call it, you need to know what a UCA is and how it can benefit your marketing and advertising in a big way!
Without an UCA, the average Tom, Dick or Harry has no way of knowing why he should choose you and your service over the others that are available. And it's your responsibility as a marketer to inform and tell your potential customers why you and your service are more desirable.
If you don't tell them, they'll never know. Its as simple as that. Never assume that your prospects know anything. You need to make the effort and tell them!
UCA based marketing is the most effective, wallet- fattening advertising there is. With very few exceptions, all truly effective advertising is UCA-based advertising.
In short, when you find out what that "certain something" is that sets you and your service head and shoulders above the rest, you should use it in your marketing, presentations, ads, business cards... everywhere.
Your UCA is that one distinct, appealing benefit that sets you apart from every competitor you have. It's something special, something that makes you unique. It's how you position yourself as compared to the competition.
There are different kinds of UCA's, any one of which may be the one you'll want to use for your business, or you may want to come-up with your own:
Formulating Your Own UCA
Coming up with your own UCA can be very simple. What I'm about to share with you is a really easy method for formulating your UCA. It's a new method that I recently learned from another marketing minded teacher.
It is the simplest way of coming up with your UCA that I've ever come across:
Here's what you do:
I) Get a couple of sheets of paper.
2) On the top of one page, write, "You know how..."
3) On the top of the next page write, "Well, what I do is..."
Then, you simply fill-in the blanks. Let me give you a few examples that should help you catch on rather quickly. Let's say you're a real estate agent who just lists properties and nothing more. Heres what your UCA might look like:
"You know how most real estate agents work with both Buyers and Sellers - splitting their time between both groups? Well, I only list properties, which means I deal directly with Sellers. Using my 21-step marketing plan on each home I have listed, I spend more time, money and attention trying to get your home sold, instead of spending time on other activities.
Do you see how the questions work to help you get a handle on what's so unique about you? Let's do another one
Let's say you are a real estate agent who offers to sell a home for 1% commission if the Seller agrees to buy their next home through you. Your UCA may look something like this:
"You know how most real estate agents charge you a full 6 or 7% commission on the sale of your home? Well, what I do is save you thousands of dollars by only charging a 1% commission if you buy your next home through me.
Are you getting the idea?
This method is beautiful in its simplicity. Its power is in the simplicity. I've had this UCA/USP thing explained to me time and time again, but nowhere have I found such a simple and thorough way to formulate an UCA so easily.
That is the power of an UCA. A well-formulated UCA will accomplish several things for you:
1. It will lay out in precise detail what your prospects/customers can expect from your relationship. There are no hidden surprises, so you have greater credibility!
2. It gives you an overall focus of where the rest of your advertising and marketing should go.
3. It's highly unlikely that any of your competitors will have anything even remotely like an UCA, so yours will have an incredible knockout blow to any competitor.
They don't stand a chance, because they can't clearly and succinctly express the reasons why their prospects should do business with them, instead of you! That's a powerful position to be in!
The real key to creating a highly successful UCA is to focus on the one need that is lacking the most. Of course, you'll have to make sure you can keep the promises you make!
By finding the one little problem that no one else in your area is taking care of, and building your UCA around it, you can profit enormously.
Putting Your UCA Down on Paper
Before you jump in and start throwing your new UCA all over the place, you need to focus and say it as clearly
and crisply as you can, with impact. When you do, remember one thing
Do Not Try to Be Cute or Clever!!!
Doing so will defeat the entire purpose of your UCA, which is to clearly and crisply state the reason why your prospects should do business with you instead of your competition. Think it through carefully.
Take the time you need so you can write out your UCA in one compelling paragraph or less.
It may take a few tries to get it down clearly, but it's well worth it. Believe me, if you use the method I outlined above, coming up with your UCA is going to be 10 times easier than it was for me back before I found out about it.
Conclusion:
Your UCA will be one of your most powerful marketing weapons. It needs to be a part of everything you do. That being the case, you need to take the time necessary to come-up with your UCA today!
Today's Missing, Magic Ingredient That Will Almost Guarantee Your Success In Business
The information in this chapter will absolutely change your business and your life, if you spend just a few moments and really let it sink in.
This chapter will help give you a thought process, something that will give you clarity and provide an immediate advantage. It will give you purpose, certainty, and fuel the vehicle that will enable every one of your endeavors to be successful. You will possess the understanding to relate with your Buyers and Sellers, with one simple business, life and marketing concept.
With that in mind, let's get started:
What I'm about to share with you will help you in a way that will give you the same kind of distinction that makes massive financial breakthroughs for salespeople all over the country.
What you've got to do is take this information and interpret it into your own business. Force yourself as you read this chapter to make notes of not only what I say, but the implication and application it has to your marketing efforts.
To start off, the first thing I want to tell you about, is the importance of demonstrating genuine empathy, a sincere understanding of where your customers are and what their frame of mind is.
Empathy is very different than just understanding.
It is having an emotional, heart-felt comprehension of what someone else feels. Its an understanding of the "plight" they're in and life from their point of view.
When you lose empathic respect for where your client is coming from, you've lose rapport right from the beginning. You've got to understand that.
You've got to take a position of "selling leadership" in the literal sense to your prospects.
Not leadership like being the king in your area, but rather in the context of leading your clients to solutions, answers, protections and enrichments.
Our charge as sales professionals and marketers is to lead our clients to "higher ground" and better lives, to greater enrichment and having more joy in purchasing different products and services.
You must become extraordinarily adept at conveying to your prospects the message that, "I feel the way you feel and I understand what your problem is!
Your prospects are silently begging to be led, but they want be led by a leader who has their best interest at heart, not someone who is looking through them and to their wallet.
It's important to realize that most people don't have a clear picture. They don't know what they want, how they feel, or what's possible.
The more you help them paint their picture, provide clarity of focus and show them what's possible, the more you show them what theyll lose if they dont use your services. This is how you empower them to take action.
Your purpose, your responsibility, your charge, your reason for being in the real estate business, is that you've got to lead your prospect to whatever they consider their "promised land."
You see, most people don't trust "salespeople" or the systematic way that we operate in business. They don't trust everyone doing things the same way because it makes them feel manipulated and out-of-control.
But, when you put on a pair of empathetic glasses and take off the blinders, you see that we all feel like we're out of control.
Think about yourself for a moment. Have you ever been in a buying situation where you felt helpless or frustrated? Of course you have. Its simply human nature.
Even salespeople at one point or another feels like the competition is out to get them and that the "system" sucks.
People are mad, they really are. Have you noticed a level of apathy or ambivalence in your customers?
They feel like they've been taken advantage of. They feel like they're always being screwed. They feel like they have no real choice. They feel like the whole system is manipulated around them.
You've got to stop and spend a few moments in your prospects shoes. Youll see that they feel like you do - you feel like they do. In the sales business, if you don't comprehend the feelings of your prospect, you won't be in business for long!
The fact is, people feel they're not being told the whole truth, or all of the facts, or all the options.
Don't you respect somebody when they let you in on the truth? Think about it. Have you ever bought something from somebody who tells you truthfully how they see it, or advises you honestly?
Did you ever have anybody like that in your life?
Did you feel confident of them?
Did you buy from them?
If someone takes a straight-forward and honest position, you find you want to trust and believe him or her.
Your job as a marketer is to give others focus that helps them realize you offer a better way to look at buying. That's your responsibility, your higher "purpose".
Give your prospects the focus. Help them see it as you see it. Give them advice. Give them an alternative to the way everyone else does it. Have a fresh, more honest, more empathic, externally focused mind-set.
Help them take the first step. Help them see what the logical action should be, and why. Give them reasons that are in their best interest, not yours. If you don't have the reasons, spend as much time as it takes to get them. Until you do, you have no advantage over the competition.
Maybe this chapter has been a bit abstract in it's thinking and approach. Maybe you don't understand the point I'm trying to make. I guess what it boils down to, is that if you're hoping to sell a lot, and you haven't taken the time to really get to know your prospects, success will be difficult.
Identify and understand the feelings, hopes, and anxieties of your target market. If you do, you'll be able to deliver a product that helps them and marketing pieces that sell them!
You must walk more than a mile in your prospects shoes in order to understand how to market to them and how to create a service that'll solve their problems.
My question to you is this:
If you're serious about wanting to succeed in making tons and tons of money, you've got to get serious about serving people, caring about them and getting to know them.
Create a service using marketing vehicles that help your clients solve problems. If you do, you will succeed big time!
FREE Unadvertised Bonus How To Structure Zero Down Deals Transcript From Joes Hands-On Workshop RAW UCUT UEDITED
In the book you just read, I taught you how to put zero down deals together. You learned everything from A to Z, but Ive decided to give you an additional FREE bonus. This is the transcript from a seminar workshop that I did. It is very rough unedited with lots of stumbling sentences and some of it may not even be complete.
But it is also FULL of EXTREMELY powerful ideas, strategies and techniques that will help you understand zero down structures on a very deep level. Dont write back to me and tell me how bad the grammar is or how many words were misspelled or how badly it was formatted I already know. I just wanted to get this material included in the book as quickly as possible so you could start making money today.
So here goes learn a lot.
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Joe Crump: Okay guys, lets get going. We are going to talk about how to analyze the deals that you find. And then Im going to take you through some exercises and actually have you analyze theoretical deals.
There are two types of deals were looking for. Substantially under market value which you can buy for cash. And when you buy these for cash, it doesnt have to be your cash; it can be another investor who will pay
you a fee to takeover that property. So youll be assigning that property over to someone else for a fee using an assignment form. Also were looking for properties we can buy at market value or below, but on terms.
Steve, thats a little hot. Could you bring it down just a little bit?
So you can actually make money on properties that you buy at full value, preferable to buy it under value, but you can actually make money on properties Whats that? Talk louder. Okay.
You can actually make money on properties that you buy at full value if you can get them on terms, because you can sell them for more than market value. Remember the stuff we talked about way back on Saturday morning. The types of deals were going to be looking for: the wholesaling, thats the ones that you flip, properties that you buy subject-to, wraparound contracts which are also known as land contracts, or if youre in a trust-deed state, contract for deed, and lease with option to buy.
So these are the four different structures of purchasing properties that were talking about. Im going to start out with wholesaling. You want to buy substantially under market value when youre buying for cash. The big question always is what is substantially under market value? And Ive heard people say, It is 10 percent, its 20 percent, its 30 percent. I dont like to put it on a percentage basis because it doesnt the numbers dont work very well. If you got a $10,000 dollar property, 30 percent of $10,000 dollars is only $3,000; its not going to be very profitable. On the other hand, 30 percent of $200,000 dollars is $60,000; its a lot more attractive.
So what youve got to do is youve got to take the project and youve got to back out of it. So lets say youve got a property thats worth $100,000, you want the investor
the minimum most investors that are going to do rehabs are going to accept, and this doesnt mean that I would accept that but investors that I found that they would accept, is $15,000. Usually if an investor can make about $15,000 after they do their rehab, theyre probably going to be okay.
Now I wouldnt ever recommend that you do a rehab where you only think youre going to make $15,000, do them if youre going to make $25,000 I think is a minimum.
Rick, you got a comment on that? Yeah, yeah you do. So $25,000 is what you want to look. But I think that you can still sell properties to people where they make $15 grand. So you got to look at what are repairs going to cost, what are you going to charge for your fee? Is it going to be $3,000, is it going to be $5,000 to flip this property? So lets say $15,000 plus you got another $3,000 for your fee, another $5,000 to do some cosmetic work. Now youre at what is that? $23,000 dollars, so you got to get it at $77,000. Is this substantially under market value? I think this is marginal, a pretty marginal deal.
Does it mean you shouldnt take it? I think that marginal deals sometimes make sense. Remember you dont have any risk here. You put a purchase agreement together on here that is assignable. It is also contingent upon approval by your investor. So if your investor says, No, I dont want it, or your investors depending on how many you got on your list. If they say, No, I dont want this property, you can bow out of this contract and you can walk away from it without any risk.
And in fact, you would never close a deal. Whether it is on terms or whether it is on cash unless you have a buyer in place ready to go. And on a cash deal it is very nice, because all you have to do is turn around and sign it, and
let them close it. The nice thing about wholesaling properties is you get your money upfront.
The way Azam and I are doing it, we dont even assign these contracts until the money is wired into our account or until we have a cashiers check, because that gives us some leverage on whos going to accept this, who were going to accept as the investor for this property. If an investor says, Oh, I want that property. I want it. Save it for me. I say, Well save it for you until somebody else comes along with money. As soon as that person comes along with money, thats the person who gets it. So it creates a little bit of urgency.
If they know it is a good enough deal for them to accept, they have a feeling that other investors may accept that deal as well. So our thing to them and the way our assignment contract is written is this contract is not valid until money is wired into our account or until we have a cashiers check for that amount, depending on how they want to do it.
And its all tied together. Okay, no problem. Okay, lets go onto. Oh yeah, you always have the weasels clauses. Thats what Im talking about as the contingencies to get your out of a deal. And this is the core of the safety-net method, by the way, having the ability to get out of a contract no matter what happens and no being tied up with having to make payments.
Buy in subject to the existing loan. What Im going to try and do is help you understand the difference between subject to land contract and lease option. Im going to stop after let me go through the three of them and then Im going to stop and Im going to ask you questions and see if you understand what were doing here. Because sometimes it takes people a little bit of time to grasp this concept.
When you buy it subject to, you need to buy it at market value or below. Youre going to take over the property subject to the existing loans with a quit-claim deed. You can use a warranty deed. Youre not assuming the loan; youre not qualifying for that loan. The person who took out that loan originally stays on that loan. There are no closing costs in a deal like this and you can actually close it at a kitchen table. The title transfers to you. You become the owner of that property. Just because the mortgage is still in the name of the original borrower doesnt mean that you dont have title. You have the title to that property, which gives you the ownership of it.
We talked a little bit about due-on-sale clauses yesterday. A due-on-sale clause is in about 99 percent of mortgages out there. And it says that if a property is transferred then that mortgage becomes due and payable. Or I guess the better way to say that is the mortgage company has the right to foreclose upon that property and take it back. Now the question is will they do that? Will they take that property back? I have been through hundreds of millions of dollars of real estate transactions of all kinds and I have never seen that happen. The closest that Ive ever gotten to that is a mortgage company once sent us a note and said this payment has to come from the borrower not from another party. And so we sent it through the borrower and we didnt have a problem.
I had another guy, one of my students actually, the mortgage contacted him and said, We would like to wed like you to take this loan out in your name or were going to foreclose on it because of the due-on-sale clause. This is the only time Ive ever heard of this happening. He told them to go ahead and foreclose. There was no equity in the property. Most of these subject-to properties dont have any equity in them.
You dont and since youve got the due-on-sale clause there, I suggest that you not put a ton of money into these properties. If youre going to go and put $50,000 dollars
in this property and keep it for 30 years, youre at risk for the lender to take it back. If you got a huge amount of equity in these properties, you probably dont want to leave it in a subject-to situation. Ive never heard of it happening, but if the bank looks at those numbers and they realize theyve got a 50- or 60-percent equity position, you know maybe theres somebody at that bank that wants to raise some funds and they want to do this foreclosure.
But even if they decided to foreclose on that property and youve got a 50-percent equity position on that, you still have time to sell that property and get out of it. If youve got that big of an equity position, youre probably not going to lose money so you just need to refinance it, sell it, and get that loan off of there and they wont be able to foreclose. So thats due-on-sale clauses there.
People get nervous about these things and theyre really not as frightening as you and actually theres other things that you can do. They have trusts that you can put them and theres some other research that you can do on this, and its not I dont think its necessary, but Im not an attorney.
When you write the purchase agreement of a subject to, essentially instead the sale price, when theyre asking for the price of the property youre putting in subject-to the existing loan or value subject to the existing loan, and everything in there is all subject to the existing loan. Youre taking over the escrow account, so youre going to be making payments on the taxes; youre going to be making payments on the insurance. Youre going to leave the insurance in place in the name of the mortgage holder, because the bank demands that they have an insurance policy in their name. But you also want to put yourself on as a writer so that youll be covered in it as well.
The nice thing about subject-to and the reason I like this the best of all financing all together is the fact that it gives you more options to sell it. Youre on that deed. If you buy it subject-to, you can sell it subject-to, because you got the deed. You can also sell in on land contract. And Im going to talk about land contracts and why youd want to do that. And you could also sell it on a lease option.
If you bought it on a land contract, you can sell it on a land contract and you can sell in on a lease option. If you buy it on a lease option, you can sell it on a lease option. So you have a lot more opportunities to sell the property because of the way you buy it. And the more opportunities you have to sell it, the more options youll have on whos going to buy from you, and the more flexibility youll have when you turnaround and sell it.
Wraparound contracts. You dont take title to the property, but you have ownership rights. Its like buying a car. If you go out and get a loan on a car, they will not give you the title. Youll have a contract with them that says youre going to pay this amount money over this period of time at this interest rate. And when it is paid off, they give you the title. They turn the title over to you. Thats unlike a deed where you actually have, or even a mortgage, where you actually have the deed in your name.
When you buy with a wraparound contract, this gives you more options in your arsenal to buy properties, because it allows you to actually give the seller their equity. If youve got a seller whos willing to sell on terms, but he wants his equity out - lets say he owes if the property is worth $100,000 dollars, he wants $100,000 dollars for his property. And the numbers work, it makes sense to buy it but he only owes $50,000. You cant buy this property subject-to, because otherwise youd have to buy it for $50,000 because hes only got a $50,000-dollar note on it.
So youve got $50,000 dollars worth of equity there. So what we do is write up a wraparound contract, a land contract, for $100,000 dollars. Lets say his payment is $500 dollars on his $50,000 dollars and the balance if you were to finance the whole $100,000 it would be a $1,000 payment, that other $500 dollars, if you paid him $1,000 dollars a month, $500 would go to his mortgage, $500 dollars would go to him. And if hes got a mortgage, by the way, its better to split those two up and send one of them to the mortgage company directly to make sure that payment is made, and the other one to him directly.
This is an easy this makes it easy to sell to somebody whos not necessarily motivated and doesnt need the cash right now, because it saves them on their tax hit. Theyre not going to have a capital gains hit, except on the money that theyre making. It also makes them more money.
Lets say their interest that theyre getting on this property is maybe $300 dollars more than - $300 dollars more than what their mortgage payment is. And youre paying lets say youre paying $50,000 dollars for the property. Are these numbers going to work here? Youre going to pay them $300 dollars more above their Lets say they owe $50,000; it is worth $80,000. Youre going to buy it for $80,000; $500 dollars a month goes to them - $500 dollars a month goes to the mortgage company, $300 dollars a month goes to their equity.
Now what theyre making is $300 dollars a month and if you do it over a 5-year period, which is pretty standard with a land contract, 60 month, $300 dollars a month. What is that? $18,000 dollars. So theyre getting an extra $18,000 dollars over a 5-year period for this property. So instead of buying it for $80,000, youre buying it for $96,000. And you can show them, hey, youre going to get an extra $16,000 dollars if you just wait for your money, plus youre going to save all these
taxes over these years, and then you can take the hit at that point. And it is a nice way to sell.
And I find this works a lot on folks that own properties free and clear and they dont need you know like retired folks that have these properties. All they want is the income. And they still have the right to foreclose, by the way. On a subject-to since the deed is transferred, the person who sells it doesnt have the right to foreclose.
Ill answer your questions __________, okay.
They dont have the right to foreclose. But on a wraparound contract, they do have the right to foreclose and take back the property so they wont lose their equity. Now it will take them they have to go through the process of foreclosure, which is a pain in the butt. So if youre going to sell a property on land contract, you want to be aware of that that its going to take that. Thats one of the nice things of selling on a lease option, because you can evict and thats a lot easier. So making it assignable you can sell if you make the contract assignable, you can sell the you can assign that contract to someone else and they can take it over. Assigning for a fee, obviously.
When you write the contract, basically youre going to use the purchase agreement the same way that you use a regular agreement except in the further conditions or the place where it allows you to put write in some material. You can say this is going to purchased on a land contract for x-amount of dollars for x-interest rate for this period of time, that this contract is to be written by an attorney acceptable by both parties so thatthe land contract, itself, should be written by an attorney, a real estate attorney.
After you do this a fee times, you may want to use the same contract. What I do is well, what I did was have an attorney write up a land contract for me and I asked
him to email it to me. And since he emailed it to me, it is in a Word document and I can now modify it and use it anyway I want. And you can do the same thing. But it might make more sense both for your comfort and the comfort of the seller for an attorney to go ahead and create the document and even record that document for you, because this is going to be a recorded position that youre getting ownership of that property.
When you sell a wraparound contract, if you sell it with a wraparound contract thats assignable or you can sell it on lease option. You can not sell it subject-to, because you dont have the title. And this is the way property used to be financed, by the way. This is sort of the classic method of financing property before they even had mortgages.
Lease with an option to buy. This is my third favorite way of buying a property. Now when selling a property we look at them a little bit differently, but as far as buying a property I think this gives you the fewest options. What youre doing is youre buying a property youre leasing a property, Im sorry, over a certain period of time with the option to buy at a specific price. So if that value goes up in price, you have the right to purchase that property and make a profit on it.
You dont have ownership rights. You couldnt go to a title company with a lease option and ask them to sell that property for you or to close a deal. Youre going to have to get ownership rights to make that happen, so it makes it more difficult to resale. You always want to make all your contracts assignable. Theres less profit on the front end sometimes with lease options, but you got a big chunk in the back end that you can make money on because you can sell it for more money. Typically, you can get more money when you sell it for lease option.
One of the techniques that Ive used to sell a property that I purchased with a lease option is to ask the seller, and I
had to go back and get their permission, but I had to go back to the seller, get their permission to switch it over to a land contract for one day, the day of closing, and then that contract would be due at that day. So that would give me ownership rights and I could then sell the property and have them buy it directly from me.
One of the things I like to do is separate the lease and the option. They are two separate documents. So if there is some question if you have an option on a property that that does give you some ownership rights, and if the lease and the option are tied together and a judge decides that because they got an option on that property you need to not just evict them, but you need to foreclose on them, that creates a problem. So make it two separate documents, two separate agreements, and dont tie them together. This is my least favorite way to buy on terms. And I
Lets do some first, lets take some questions on this process. You want to start __________. Student: When you just gave __________. Oh thank you. When you just gave the example, $80,000 was the price and was worth it, and you make terms $50,000 and the rest is carried by the owner, right? Would that work also if the house is free and clear to do that completely as owner financing? Joe Crump: Well, first of all, lets make sure we clarify how thats working. Its not that youre taking a first and a second. Its not two mortgages here. Whats happening is you got he owes $50,000. Hes going to take that $50,000 plus his equity, wrap it up into just one contract that youre going to sign for $80,000. Does that make sense? So its not a first mortgage and a second mortgage, its a wrap thats why they call it a wraparound, because theyre wrapping it all up. Does that
Student: But would it make sense to oh yeah, okay, its not a wrap around then, its just straight out seller financing.
Joe Crump: Yes, you could do this with you asked if you could do it if it had no liens on it at all? Student: Yeah. Joe Crump: Yes. You could do it. I mean thats it could be any amount of equity or no equity. Lets say you had a property that was worth $100,000 dollars, they had a mortgage on there of $100,000 and the seller didnt want to do a subject-to. They just didnt want to turn the title over, they wanted some recourse. Well, you could give them recourse just by doing this as a land contract, just back down to your second favorite choice. Now youre down to a land contract for $100,000 dollars and its exactly whats on the note. Student: So in other words, the land contract can be done no matter if it is free and clear or after 100 percent no equity. Joe Crump: Correct. Student: Okay. Joe Crump: Correct. Who else has got a question? Student: With the lease with option to buy, you were talking about separating the lease and the option and you make it easier to evict. But youre the buyer youre buying this property, why would you want to make it easier for them to evict you? Joe Crump: You caught me in a mistake. (Laughing) Very good, because it should be the opposite way around. Because I keep thinking Im selling, because I never buy with lease options. So basically what that should be is the opposite way around. Tie them together when youre buying, because then you have more rights on it. And whether or not youll be able to get away with or not thats, you know the ownership rights _______________. Did I just confuse everybody? Student: ______________ Joe Crump: Okay. Okay. Who else has got a question? Student: On a subject-to, when do you record the deed? Joe Crump: You can record it as soon as you get it. Student: Before you actually sell, before you sell?
Joe Crump: No, the recording of the deed or the transfer of the deed is when it becomes your property, when he gives you that deed. Thats the closing. You close when you have a buyer in place. So as soon as you have a buyer in place, you close it, he gives you the deed, you get the money from your lease-option person or somebody else whos buying it from you, and then you take it down and record it, so nobody can take it from you.
Who else? Lets just Student: I have a question. When you do property and you got the deed, taken it over, lets say theyre moving out, Ive got my new buyer moving in, utilities and things like that in the interim, in between. My seller is moving out and they say, well, we want to shut off utilities, and I didnt quite have my new buyer in there. Whats the way to handle that so youre not out of pocket? Joe Crump: Close it when youre buyer is going to be in there. That way it is seamless. Student: So just make it happen at the same time. Joe Crump: Right, same day. And that way and tell your buyer. Say, look, your utility is going to be shut off on this day so make sure you have them turned on in your name on the day we close. Student: Mine just kind of adds on to the last question over here. You said that you didnt mean to separate the lease and option to purchase when you buy, but do you want to do that when you sell? Joe Crump: Yes. Student: Okay. And thats so that you can evict them without them saying that they have ownership rights. Joe Crump: Right. And that way if they dispute ownership rights and you have to give them, you have to continue with their option, you can still at least put somebody in there. You can lease it out so you dont lose money with it. Student: So how do you actually separate the lease option and option to purchase? I mean you have typical lease like if you were, say, renting an apartment.
Joe Crump: Well, there are two documents to start with. And the only way that they would be connected is if you connected them verbally on the contracts. Student: Okay. Joe Crump: Because they dont refer to each other. Student: So in your option to purchase are you saying that they have the option to purchase this on this date, or they only have the option to purchase this because theyre making these payments for this amount of time? Joe Crump: They have the option to purchase it before this date, which is a year in the future, or two years or three years in the future. Student: Okay. Student: When youre buying on a wraparound contract or land contract, what are the specific disadvantages of not holding title? You mentioned you cant sell on a subject-to. If it is assignable are there other disadvantages of not holding title? Joe Crump: Im not sure I understand. Student: You were saying in a wraparound contract you dont actually take title. Joe Crump: Correct. Student: Although you do have other ownership rights. Joe Crump: You have ownership rights so you could take it to a title company and say, I want to sell this property. Theyll go to the title search, theyll find out that you are the owner of record, and they will allow you to sell that property. Student: But youre saying you cant sell it subject-to, so Im just curious is the technical issue of holding title. Joe Crump: The only way that you can sell subject- to is if you have the deed, because what youre doing is transferring the deed. But a land contract is not a deed. Its ownership rights, but its not a deed. Student: Okay. Joe Crump: Its not the actually, physical form of a deed, which means that the person who has the deed has foreclosure rights on a contract, on a land contract. If that land contract buyer defaults, the person who has the deed can foreclose on them.
Student: Okay. Joe Crump: Which protects somebody if they dont want to go with a subject-to deal. If theyre afraid of turning over the deed and having no recourse, which doesnt happen that often, but if it does you have a fallback position. You know, one of the things I dont want you to go out and do is start falling back on these fallback positions before they reject. Because a lot of times people will think, well, I wouldnt do a subject-to so theres no way that Im going to ask anybody else to do it. Ill just go ahead and offer them something thats less valuable to me because Im willing to do that anyway, and why not just negotiate from that weaker point.
I think it makes sense to negotiate for the best position that you can, because it will give you a lot more options to sell it. And it actually serves your seller by doing that, because it makes it more likely that youll be able to turn that property. The less opportunities that you have to turn that property and sell it, the less likely that theyre going to get their money and that their mortgage is going to be paid for. Student: I like youre saying with wraparound contract, it would probably have to be require if the guys got equity in the property. Otherwise, he wouldnt want to do a subject-to. Joe Crump: Correct. Student: Yep. Joe Crump: Otherwise, hell leave his money on the table; hed leave all that equity on the table. Student: I have actually two questions. One is I understood that lease option is your least favorite possibility, right. Joe Crump: To buy. Student: To buy. Joe Crump: Not to sell. Student: Yeah. What lease-option terms do you think are the optimum, one, two, or three years? Joe Crump: One. Student: One year.
Joe Crump: But, welllets do a __________ on that. Student: Okay. And always like $200 dollar cash flow. Joe Crump: ___________ you have to decide what you want that property to do for you. Do you want to keep that property long term, or do you want to keep it this is something we talked about earlier do you want to keep that property long term, or do you want to flip that property quickly and get your equity out of it?
Lets say I want to build a stable of properties that Id like to keep and see them go up in value, but I dont really want to be a landlord. And the beauty of selling on a lease option is you can set it up so that even though you are a landlord according to the IRS and according to the lease, youre still a landlord, you can put a lot of the responsibility for taking care of the property on the shoulders of the lease option. So that way if the furnace goes out, they call you up, say, hey my furnace went out. Well, thats too bad. Youre going to have to get a new one in there, arent you? Youre not.
And what we tell them is, hey you know, think of us as the lender. Were not the landlord. Think of us as the lender and you remember you wouldnt call Countrywide to replace your furnace, so dont call me to replace your furnace. Youre going to be taking care of it. And they know this upfront. You know we have them initial it on the lease agreement that we have. Student: So in other words, if you plan to put it in your matrix then one year would be optimum and otherwise Joe Crump: If youre trying to get the cash out, then do the matrix. Absolutely, one year is what you want to do. Student: Okay. Joe Crump: Now if youre wanting to get it out in one year, you need to get the highest lease-option fee possible. Now I suggest $5,000 dollars as a minimum to pretty much guarantee that this deal is going to close.
Well, not guarantee it, but 70, 80, 90 percent of those are going to close. And Im talking about the $100,000 property again.
If you only got $1,000 dollar lease-option fee, the likelihood is the 50 percent that is not going to close. So the theory is then if you want to keep those properties and let them appreciate and have those lease-option people come in, take care of their own properties. You know if they buy it, great, they bought it at a price thats 10 percent above market value. If they dont buy it, thats even better, because you wanted to keep it. And you go get another lease-option person to give you another $1,000 thats also nonrefundable. It is not deposits, so they dont have to give it back to them when they leave, which is another nice thing. And you can keep doing that perpetually until somebody ends up buying.
And what youre going to do is raise the price next time. And when youre ready to really move that property then you make sure you get a high lease-option fee on it. Now what if you want to move that property and you can only get a low lease option. Maybe you can only find somebody whos willing to pay $1,000 bucks on this lease-option fee, does it still make sense to do that property? I think it does, because you still want to be able to move that property. And if you have it subject-to you can actually try to increase your down payment.
What I like to do, lets say you go this $110,000-dollar property thats got a mortgage on it of $90,000 and youve got it advertised. You want to try to get $5,000 down, so when people call you ask them how much money theyve got for their down payment. They say, well, I got $3,000. Well, if you had $5,000 that would probably work, so maybe you can bump them up to $5,000. Well, I can come up with $4,000. Well, maybe accept that.
Well, lets say they have $5,000. They say, Oh, I got $5,000; I can do it. Well, you know if you can come up
with $10,000 dollars, Ill sell it to you for $5,000 dollars less. Ill sell it to you for $105,000 and Ill sell it to you on a land contract. So now Ive got $90,000 first mortgage and I got $5,000 dollars of equity because I sold it for $95,000. I got $95,000 left that theyre paying on and I got $10,000 dollars upfront.
Or you could give them another option, Ill come down you know another $2,000 dollars if you give me $13,000 dollars. Yeah, then were down to I cant remember what all the numbers are. But what you can do is give them some incentive to give you more cash by lowering the price. And as long as youve made the price above- market value, you can always drop it back down to make it more attractive to them to give you more money and actually get ownership position.
Say, look, you can take this beyond lease option, you could take me out of this deal all together where youre the owner, you got deed. You know you can do whatever; this is your property. If you want to do that you just have to give me a little bit more money to do that. And you may find somebody that finds value in doing that. Student: Yeah, and the second question I had was, you mentioned yesterday in connection with subject-to quit claim deed, could you very briefly explain exactly what the is quit claim deed something where you have like just performer $1 dollar just to have the title in the your name orwhat exactly was that? Joe Crump: A quit-claim deed is just exactly what it says there. Theyre quitting their right to that property and theyre giving it to you. Its a very basic way to transfer title. Student: Yeah, but what is the minimal amount Joe Crump: You dont have to you dont have to Student: Oh, not at all. Joe Crump: Yeah. Student: It doesnt have to have any amount on it. Joe Crump: Yeah, you can I mean what J.J. was talking about earlier today with LLCs. If you deed your
property into a LLC, youre just quit claiming into an LLC. The LLC takes it over. Student: Without money at all. Joe Crump: Yeah. Anyone else got a question? Student: At what point in a subject-to deal do you do the title search to make sure theres no clouds or anything on the title before you actually take deed to the property? Joe Crump: You have to decide if youre going to be the one thats taking thats going to be buying it. What I do in my disclosures, I let the buyer, the person who is buying it from me, take responsibility for the title, take responsibility for the value, take responsibility for the condition. I dont do inspections, I dont do title searches. You know I dont do any of that stuff, because it takes too much time. Its not necessary. What you do is put that responsibility squarely on the shoulders of the person who is buying it from you.
So lets say I got whose lease optioning that property. Ill tell them, you know, heres the deed. Youre going to take this property with a lease with an option to buy from me. Youre going to put this much money down. And heres a disclosure that you have to sign.
What Id like you to do to satisfy yourself and this is exactly what my disclosure says satisfy yourself as to the condition of the title, that Im not rely on Joe Crumps opinion of the title. Ive satisfied myself of the title. Not relying on Joe Crumps opinion of the price, Ive relied upon my own valuation. Im not relying on Joe Crumps valuation of the condition of the property; Ive made my own inspection to do that. So that that takes me off the hook.
Does that make sense? Who else has got a question? Student: When you say title search, do you mean complete or preliminary title search? I think theres a difference, right? Joe Crump: I would do a prelim. Student: Prelim.
Joe Crump: Yeah, because a complete title search basically is the same as a prelim except they do it at the day of, you know, they just check it at the very day right beforea prelim is what they doIt is what? Student: _________________ Joe Crump: No. It is just current. It is just more current. Student: Do you require that they do the title search and contingencies? For instance, say what happens is you bought the project or you got a contract as subject-to, youre about ready to do a lease option, youre basically demanding that they do it. If they didnt do it, say when in six months decided there was a problem, say theres a major problem with the house or there was cloudy title, they get out of the lease option after one year and then you basically got youve got the property now at this point with known problems. So how do you protect yourself against that? Joe Crump: So is the concern the title if I get the property back? Student: Yes. Joe Crump: Its got a bad title. Student: In other words, do you demand that the lease to buyer lease-option buyer do the title search and the contingencies checks? Im sorry, the inspection checks. Joe Crump: I do not. If its a comfort level that you would like to have, it doesnt hurt to do that. What I do is look at where is my risk here? What is going to be the problem is that happens? Whats the worst-case scenario for me? What is the worst-case scenario? Student: ___________ Joe Crump: Walk away from the property. One thing to remember here walking away from a deal like this is not against the law. Its not fraud. Theres nothing wrong with doing that. Its breaking a contract; its not breaking the law. Thats the same with due-on-sale clauses. Youre breaking a contract; youre not breaking the law.
If you get a Visa card and you dont make the payments on time, youre breaking a contract. Youre not breaking
the law. Youre not going to jail for that. If you dont pay your house payment and they foreclose on that property, theyre not going to put you in jail for that. Theyre going to foreclose and theyre going to screw up your credit. Thats the same situation there.
If you lose that property, what its going to do, its going to damage the seller. And this is not an attractive situation. But the person that youre trying to protect in the first place was probably going to be in this situation anyway, if you didnt say it. So what youre going to do is try to do that best you can to protect that person. But if they didnt tell you about a lien that was against the property or a title problem that was against the property, they would have known about that. If they didnt tell you about that, then theres some deceit there as well.
So you can only do a certain amount. And you have to decide at what point it becomes cost effective to keep working on this stuff and to keep doing it. Because you can I mean I can probably name ten other things that you could probably search on, but its just going to get more and more complicated, more and more time and you want to get on to the next deal. And you dont have the risk here because the deal could go away.
Now you dont want deals going away on you. It will give you a bad reputation if people find out about. Although, youd have to do an awful lot of them to get that Student: I got one other question. Just trying to fully understand the difference between a salesay you bought a property subject-to and now youre going to sell it, either subject-to or with a lease option. Basically, its just a matter of money down. If they put the full money down for youre equity, then effectively youre selling that again subject-to. Joe Crump: Right. Student: If theyre not willing to do that, then the only way youre going to get your equity is through you know
basically selling with a lease option, and it is still subject- to. Joe Crump: If I was buying a subject-to and I was selling a subject-to, what I would do is assign the contract, never close it in my name. So lets say I bought it for $90,000 subject-to, Ive got a purchase agreement to do that. And Im going to sell it for $100,000. Theyre going to give me $10,000. And theyre going to take over that property subject-to and Im out of the deal. I get my $10,000, Im out. Student: Thats just a transfer fee or assignment fee. Joe Crump: What I would do is an assignment. I would assignment contract that says Im assigning this contract for $10,000 dollars. As soon as that money is in my account, then I sign over the contract to them. And the deed is transferred directly from the previous owner to the new buyer, because youre transferring that contract that lease contract.
I want you to understand how these structures work because were going to do a little bit of exercises here in a minute. Student: So if youre buying a subject-to and youre selling a subject-to, would the original owner give the new buyer the coupon book and the directions on where to send the payment and so forth or is it just kind of a guess- type thing? Joe Crump: No, no, you want the coupon book. You want to know who the insurance company is, you know you want to know that the property taxes are escrowed, which most of the time they are, but if theyre not Student: But youve already just assigned it to this new person who knows nothing about the original seller, so youre out of the picture anyway but you want them to feel comfortable. Joe Crump: No, youre going to connect them. Student: Oh, youre going to do that. Joe Crump: Yeah, youre not walking out. What youre doing is youre connecting them and stepping back with your $10,000 dollars.
Student: So youre still working with them to close the deal? Joe Crump: Youre not closing the deal. You took the $10,000 dollars, go close it. If they need help, Ill help them. Student: Youre assisting them even though youre out of the picture. Joe Crump: What I would probably do is have them do it through an attorney. That way I dont close their deal. I dont do their title. I dont want to be responsible for that. Student: Oh, I see. Joe Crump: And it is not that expensive to have an attorney do the closing, couple of hundred bucks, $250. Anyone else have a question about these specific things? Okay.
What Ive got is a bunch of theoretical deals. Who wants one? I only got about ten of them so lets spread them out a little bit. Got to play favorites. Got one moreokay. Okay, Connie, why dont you start?
What Im going to do iswhat these say is they tell the asking price, the value of the property you know I need somebody to do overhead. Who wants to do an overhead? You want to, Marshall? Student: You want me just to read it? Joe Crump: Whats that? Student: You want me just to read the Joe Crump: I want you to write on the overhead these deals. Let me get this overhead going, so they can write these deals down because that will make it easier for everybody to visualize and remember.
Is it unplugged? Okay, so just write them down as you might want to put down the left-hand side asking price. Student: Okay, asking price $110,000. Joe Crump: Let them catch up with you here a second. Student: Value is $105,000.
Joe Crump: Hold on a second. Pull downasking price is $110,000. Student: Value is $105,000. Condition is good. Joe Crump: $105,000 and condition is next and its Student: First mortgage is $75K. No second mortgage. Joe Crump: Hold on a second. No, not you. Connie, go ahead. First mortgage- Student: First mortgage $75K. No second mortgage. And a total PITI of $700. Student: Say that again. Student: A total principal and interest with PITI of $700, yeah, $700. And the alternative to if he cant sell it, he would have to foreclose. Student: ___________ Student: If cant sell Joe Crump: Alternative is foreclosure. Student: - the house, he would like to foreclose he would have to foreclose. And hes willing to negotiate terms, but would rather have cash. Joe Crump: So do terms, yes. Student: Terms, cash, but rather he would be able to do terms and is not late on payments. Joe Crump: Okay, Connie. Tell us how would you structure this deal? What kind of offer what were trying to do here is trying to figure out whats the best offer we could make this guy and is still profitable. And I think the questions to ask yourself here, first, is it substantially under-market value? Were looking for two types of properties. Is it substantially under-market value? Student: Yes, it is. Joe Crump: No. Student: No, because ____________________. Because of the equity of $30,000. Joe Crump: Hes asking more than it is worth. Okay. Heres a guy who clearly Student: Which is unrealistic. Joe Crump: Whats that? Student: Hes unrealistic. Joe Crump: Hes clearly not understanding the situation. Okay
Student: Yes, since hes equity is like $30,000, right? First mortgage Hes equity is $30,000, since I want to make a deal on it so the most I would be offering, I guess Joe Crump: Hed like to have cash. How much could you give him cash? Student: $25. Joe Crump: $75. See he owes $75,000 on it. Is $75,000 substantially under-market value? Id say thats a decent deal. So its worth $105,000, you could offer him $75 cash. And what I would suggest is give him two separate offers. He wants $110,000. The chance that hes taking $75 is pretty slim. So if we offer him $75, say, look, I can give you $75 or I can have his buy it on terms. Now what kind of terms would we have to offer to make that deal work? Would it be a subject-to, would it be a land contract, would it be a lease option? Student: _____________ Joe Crump: Land contract, subject-to? Student: _____________ Joe Crump: How could you do a subject to? If you took whats that? Student: _____________________ Joe Crump: He wants his equity, right? Land contract. Its land contract. Because and then it is a matter of negotiating price. If hes really adamant about this $110, you want to try and negotiate the price. Now hes alternative is a foreclosure but hes not late. Hes making his payments, but hes not going to be able to make those payments very long. He is willing to do terms, so give him a land contract. See if he can get it for $100,000. You know make sure that the value is there. Get it for $100,000 and then you can turn around and how would you sell that property?
So does everybody understand how we bought it now? Land contract, $100,000 is what were offering, maybe he wants $105. We could still give him $105 and make a profit. But the lower you can get him to negotiate down, the more money youre going to make.
Student: _________________ Joe Crump: Thatd be good. Lease option for $110, maybe $115. So you turnaround, you sell it to somebody else on a lease option. You got it for $100; hopefully, you sell it for $110-$115 on a lease option. You get your $5,000 upfront. You got to carry the rest of it for the year. Get your money out at that time. Student: ___________________ Joe Crump: And then your payment. Yeah, you try to get your lease fee to be at least $900. Now it probably could be higher than that. Actually youre going to be, Im sorry, youre going to be buying on a land contract, so youre payment is going to be higher than $700. Youre payment is probably going to be around $900-$950. So youd want to be above $900. You want to try to get $1100. Because Im guessing you can probably get $1000-$1100 depending on the market that youre in. Student: So even though you attractive terms on that to resell it, would you still make a contingency of approval by your investor? Joe Crump: Absolutely. Student: Or would you just sell it the way it is? Joe Crump: Every time. Student: Every time. Regardless of whether you have good terms or not? Joe Crump: If you know that youre going to turnaround and lease option this one out, you might say this is subject-to me finding a tenant for this property, because you know that youre going to put a lease-option person in it. And that way theyll understand that better than the investor thing. Student: So theyre not going to say Joe Crump: Because youre going to be the investor. If you know that if youre not sure it really doesnt matter. One way or the other, both of those will cover you. Say I just couldnt find a tenant for it. But if you know that youre going to be able to put a tenant in it, just make it subject-to finding a tenant for the property before closing.
Is this helpful, guys? Student: Yes. Joe Crump: Is this helpful? Okay, good. Student: What would you say to the seller to get him to hold off for 60 days or 90 days for the closing in order to get a lease-option person in there so youre not paying any of the monthly payments? Joe Crump: Write the contracts give yourself 90 days on the contracts. If they wont go for 90, at least 60. If they wont go for 60, at least 30. Student: Okay, so you trying 90 days first and then come back. Joe Crump: Right. But remember if he gives you only 30 days to do this and you cant get it done, he loses as much as you do. So it is in his best interest to give you more time. And you can probably get it down a lot faster than that. Now what you could do, lets say hes adamant its got to be 30 days. Say, well, Ill do my best to get it done in 30 days. And if you dont get it done in 30 days, then you come to him and say, can I have another 30? Whats he going to say, no?
I mean if he says no or maybe, you knowanother thing we run into is, okay, I dont want to tie my property up for 90 days you know and then have it not sell. Because I want you to be honest with these people about the possibility that it may not sell, because it is contingent upon the approval of your investor or it is contingent upon you finding a tenant. And you dont want to just jerk people around, you want to be honest and let them know what youre doing. You dont need to explain how youre doing it, you just need to explain theres a possibility that it wont close but thats not likely but it possibility.
And if theyre really concerned about that, you can always say, well and this puts you out at risk so you dont want to do this unless you have to you can go ahead and sell it to somebody else if somebody else comes along. And just give me a one-week first right of refusal, so that I have the right to come in and buy that property and get it
closed within one week from time that you accept another deal from somebody else. So if they accept another deal from somebody else that deal has to say on it its not going to be valid for seven days, because they got a first right of refusal from somebody else.
Does everybody understand what that is what I just said? Okay. That way because it is unlikely that thats going to happen, first of all. And the risk here is that you tell your investor, whos unscrupulous, about this property. He goes to them and he says, Ill buy it from you directly. Lets not go through this guy. Im not going to buy it unless I go through you directly. And the seller says, Well, I want to sell it. Ill just go ahead and sell it to him. I have the right to back out of this contract, but youre the one who told the guy about it. So they can go around you. So you dont want to do this unless you have to.
As you start working with investors over and over again, the investors you work with will want to keep working with you becauseI mean you got a list of investors that you work with and if somebody were to pull that on youI mean youre doing multiple deals with particular investors. Student: If someone were to come in behind me, I would not work with them again. And since we have a property list thats weekly and 40 available properties, I would say they lose. Joe Crump: Right. See what youre trying to do overall here with building a list with creating a presence is building credibility, building some leverage into your business, because now people dont want to screw around with the big guy. And shes perceived as the big guy now six months. Student: What do you tell the seller in order to get them to accept a land contract or $100,000 when theyre asking $110,000? Joe Crump: You say, Well, you know, it really makes sense for me to pay $100,000. It doesnt make sense for me to pay $105 or $110. I feel the value is right around $105 and I have to make a profit as an investor.
You know if that doesnt make sense to you, I understand, but it has to make sense to me as an investor. You know, Im not trying to push you but this
Youre going to develop your own style of negotiation. I do it in a very soft way. But its a take away but it is also as gentle as possible. And I dont hammer people too much either. Some investors you know sometimes it probably makes sense to hammer on a certain level, you know to try to get a good deal, you know to do this deal. Well, give me my first three months for free, or you know first three months at $700 dollars and then well go up to $950 after that. Once you start doing these negotiations, youll start negotiating all sorts of new things.
Well, you know, it needs new carpet you know. Why dont we, you know, give me $2,000 dollars carpet credit so that I can go get carpet. Or it needs work and it just so happens this guy is a handyman and he can paint the whole house for you for $200 dollars, you know have him do the work. Negotiate that into the deal.
One of the things that Phil did, which was pretty fun, it is actually on the he negotiated this whole deal on the three-day boot camp CDs that Ive got. But there was a guy that was selling his house, he was buying it undervalue for cash, but he was a handyman. Hed been fixing up the property. He just needed to get rid of that property. So Phil said, Well, I wont give you your price. Ill give you this price instead, which is $15,000 dollars under what you want, but Ill give you $15,000 dollars worth of work because I got another house that needs work on, which he has to pay for anyway. But he gives this guy the money because hes doing the work. And the guy agreed to it. So he got a great deal, plus he got good work done. Student: Do you ever consider, if somebodys asking for more than the house is worth and is kind of mistaken about the value of his own house, do you ever consider then giving him comps or taking comps -
Joe Crump: Absolutely. Student: - so he sees that hes mistaken? Joe Crump: Yeah. Help people understand what the value of the property is in the nicest possible way. Because if you just say, Your propertys not worth that. Dont waste my time, you know youre not going to make any friends here. But if you say you know, Well, how did you come up with that value? Well, you know, the house next door sold for $105 and I got the heavy-duty nails in my I got the drywall in the garage, and I got the extra high-quality paint in the kitchen.
Do you understand how values are created in property? Welland you just go explain. You say, Here are the other properties that have sold. All Im doing is going by numbers. Im not doing this as an emotional buy. Im not living here. It just kind of makes sense numbers wise because Im an investor and I have to make a little bit of money to make this thing work.
And you know I would use, in this situation, I would try to get them down under the market value even though youre buying it on terms, because you need to make money and I think thats a fairly good statement to do that. Student: Would he not be bound and would be able to go and have an accepting offer from somebody else when he already has an agreement with us? Joe Crump: The only way that would happen is if you gave him the right to do that. Student: Okay. Joe Crump: Because he was uncomfortable tying it up for that amount of time. We need more mikes. Student: In this case where hes thinking he wants $110,000, hes got $30,000 equity in the house. You know whats he could with, say I dont know, 8 or 9 percent closing, whats to prevent him fromI mean what would you say that he wouldnt just go and, say, get a realtor and try to sell it that way and get, for instance, cashed out verses all youre offering is a land contract?
Joe Crump: He could easily go to a realtor, because hes got the equity to do it. Theres no reason for him not to. Student: Yeah, so what would we say in our case Joe Crump: But heres the problem that hes got. Hes going into foreclosure so hes got this motivation happening with him. Okay, so hes got some stress on him. Now hes got to decide, well, at what point the way to do a quick sale in MLS is how? How do you do a quick sale? Lower the price, right? Student: Yeah. Joe Crump: So if youre going to lower the price, but he wants $110. So its not going to work. Student: So its only because hes got the foreclosure pressure that really brings a land contract deal into looking more, plus are ability to sell the thing quickly. Joe Crump: Right. Plus, you know now youre buying on a land contract. You definitely show him how much extra money hes going to get because of all the interest hes going to make over the next five years on this property.
Now another objection that youre going get on a deal like this could be, well, I need my $25,000 or $30,000 dollars out in order to buy another property. Well, thats a pretty good argument. So how do you handle that situation?
You tell him, well, hows your credit? Well, my credit stinks. Well, you cant get a mortgage anyway. Well, what if their credit is good? Well, you can go get a 100- percent loan. Student: ______________ Joe Crump: He could refinance. He could refinance and get his cash out that way. Ive had people do that. Or he could out and get a 100-percent loan on a new property. Well, will he qualify for both loans? Yes, he will because he is selling the first one. And the bank, even though the mortgage is still in his name, the bank will allow 100-percent of the income on a sale to be applied
towards his income. Am I losing you guys? You understand?
Okay, so the bank will allow 100 percent so it will be a wash. Actually, it will show as a profit to him. That property will show as a profit, because hes going to be making more money than his $700 dollars a month. Hes going to actually increase his income so hell be able to qualify for more property.
Now if he were to rent that property out. Lets say he rented it for $1,000 dollars. The bank only allows 75 percent of a mortgage or of a rental towards the debt service. So they would only allow $750 dollars. In this case this would still put him over $700 dollars, but that doesnt happen in every case. You want to keep that in mind. If youre renting it, it is only 75 percent that the bank allows; if you sold it, it is 100 percent that the bank allows. So that way you can qualify for other properties. And youre going to hear that question a lot. Student: Im sorry, I think I missed something real simple in the very beginning. What did how much did we give him to enter into the land contract? Anything at all? Joe Crump: Oh no. Student: Nothing at all. Joe Crump: No, thats me. I do zero. Student: Okay. Joe Crump: No money. Student: Okay. I didnt miss something then. Joe Crump: Right. Student: And we offer to him $105, you said? Joe Crump: I would offer $100. Student: $100, okay. And for him to agree to that, hes going to in the future get his money. Im just trying to really fully see why he would take that other than the fact that hes going into foreclosure. Because he may have other people offering him something more than nothing. Joe Crump: Well, whos going to give him full price? No investor is giving him full price.
Student: I see what youre saying. So hes getting full price, but in the future and thats the big plus. Joe Crump: Right. Student: Gotcha. Joe Crump: He can go to a real estate agent right now, drop it down to $75, and sell it in 30 days, get out of that foreclosure, and not have late payments. Student: Or full price for a future date. Joe Crump: Eventually, hell be able to sell it at full price if the markets good and hes accurate on his price. So it may take him a few months to do that. In the meantime, his credit is taking a ding. His credit is not bad yet. Student: ______________ Joe Crump: Why is he what? Student: _____________ Joe Crump: Because he couldnt make his payments. Student: That was my one question. Why he went into foreclosure _____________ Joe Crump: Theres a lot of people that know theyre going into foreclosure that have never been late before. And those are people that are trying to save your credit. And youre going to get calls like this pretty frequently. I lost my job, Ive been making my payments for three months, but Im out, Im tapped out. Next month Im out of money and Im going to be late.
Now these people are going to be really motivated. There also going to be really stressed on this time issue. You want to close 90 days, thats going to be hard. Id still try it. Student: If thats the case and this guy needs to walk, and he needs $3,000 so that he can move into another apartment, just pay off whatever other bills, would you take that? Joe Crump: Not at this price. If he sold it to me for $75 on terms, I would. Student: Well, lets say if Im the sell saying, Joe, Ill drop it to $93, so Ill give you $3,000 cash.
Joe Crump: Well, then you got to make a decision. The money that you get for your lease option is going to get eaten up. So youre not going to close it, not going to give him the $3,000 until you get it from a lease option. Student: Right. Joe Crump: So its not actually coming out of your pocket, its going to come through the lease option. But if you only get $3,000 from the lease option, you just broke even. Now youre still going to get money on the back end. If you sell it for $110, you still made a pretty good profit. Student: Right. Joe Crump: But it is not for a year or two years down the line. Student: Right. Joe Crump: So did that answer the question? Okay. Student: I just remember you was saying he would make interest on the house later on possibility. I just wonder where the interest would come from? The seller? Joe Crump: What payment on the interest? Student: Right. Joe Crump: Well, it depends on what his mortgage is at. You know, lets say this property is free and clear, because that will be easier. If it is free and clear, I would do a seven-percent mortgage. Seven-percent simple interest would be even better, because that means you dont have to amortize it, you dont have to pay towards the loan amount. So seven-percent simple interest, five- year balloon. So in five years you have to pay the full the amount, or whoever owns it at that time, will have to refinance and pay it off. Hes out of the deal. Okay? And the interest rate is arbitrary; you would negotiate that.
So if you want it to be you know if the going rate in interest rates were nine percent like it was ten years ago, then maybe youd negotiate at eight percent or nine percent. Try to keep getting it down. Now if he had an interest rate of 10 percent lets say his credit wasnt great when he got the loan, he put 20 percent down, he got a 10-percent, B-paper loan, bad-credit loan. Now his
payment may go from $700 to $900, and what youd have to be careful of is that you dont get above what you could rent it out for.
So if you give him $950, hell only make $50 bucks a month, so it is not as attractive to him as far as the monthly cash flow. But he knows hes got a problem loan on his hands and he may still go for it. But just make sure that your interest rate hes going to want to make sure that his interest rate covers his payment. Although thats not always true either.
Ive had people that have taken deals they took out the second to pay off their credit cards, because that was real popular for awhile. So they take out a second to cover their credit cards and now theyre upside down in their property. And theyll, Well, I owe youre going to buy it for $105,000; I owe a $75,000 first and a $30,000 second, so I owe $100,000 dollars on it. And the payments going to be on 7 percent on $100,000, lets say it is $800 dollars. You know he owes $900 dollars month on his _________, so $900 dollars a month on it. Have him pay that $100 dollars to you, now. Dont expect to get that money. Have it in the contract and try to collect it from him, but dont expect.
But if youre then going out and renting based on expecting to get that, you know getting that $100 dollars back youll probably lose money. Youll probably have to pay that $100 dollars yourself, because if hes in financial problems to start with, the likelihood that hes going to making that $100-dollar payment is questionable. Anytime you ask people like that that are in these positions to pay you money out, you may not get. I try to negotiate it, but you may not get it. Student: Hes asking $110 for the property, and you offered $100. What formula did you use to arrive at the $100 or did you just draw the number out of a hat?
Joe Crump: I pulled a number out of the hat. I felt like I wanted to make more money on it. If I really wanted to push him, Id go $90 or $85. Student: Because Im just wondering if it is not dangerous just to select a number _____________ Joe Crump: I think that it is going to come from a gut feeling eventually. Where youre talking to the guy and you find out how motivated he really is. Is he just blowing smoke here with this $110,000 dollar thing, or is he really motivated, does he really need to get out of this property? And you have to make a judgment call. And a lot of that comes from experience. And the more you do this, the better youll get a feeling.
Because you may make an offer and he immediately accepts it and you think, well, maybe should I have asked for a little bit less. And then the next time you do it youll have a better feel based on that same situation, because youve done it before. It is just a process of learning. It is really an arbitrary figure. Student: _______________ Joe Crump: Whats that? Student: That sounds familiar. Joe Crump: Oh. Student: Joe, I just had a thought on this. First of all, he was asking you know how you picked that number, and then I got a question. But you know what sometimes you want to test the water. The house that I just sold that I bought from Vegas. The guy was asking $37, I bought it for $16.5. So you got to test the water. I mean that guy might be blowing smoke like you said. You start at $75, I would, in a subject-to. All hes going to say is yes, no, or lets work on it. You know soits different; Im different. Joe Crump: I agree. Student: You know Id start right at $75. Joe Crump: It is not what you deserve that matters, it is what you negotiate. Student: Thats right. Joe Crump: So its to negotiate the best position you possibly can.
Student: You know you got to take care of yourself, you dont have to worry about this guy. You want to make sure that hes youre helping him out anyways, but at $75 youre really helping him out. Well, the question is Joe Crump: Let me speak on that just for a second. I believe that you have to approach this business with a servant attitude where youre going there to help those people. Now I believe that you should be paid well to do that because you have the knowledge to do that. And Ive said this to a couple of you here already, but if you have if you need heart surgery, you do not want to be cut on, you dont want anybody cutting on you. But if thats what is going to save your life, youre happy to have that done.
My dad had prostate cancer, and he just had his prostate taken out a month ago. And we were all concerned. His feeling was, I want it out, I just want it out. And they took it out. Hes doing great. Its gone. No more cancer. But he was happy to pay lots and lots of money to have that done. Just like people are going to be happy to pay you to take over and do this for them, because youre saving them.
I talk to ___________ a lot. Let me get her comment on this because I think what she has to say on this is pretty value, kind of the (Laughing) kind of the attitude that shes got on this. Student: ____________ Joe Crump: About the servant attitude. Student: When you go in and talk with these people and you empathize or sympathize with them and let them know that you are there to help them and you can help them and let them talk, you earn their trust. And I just Joe Crump: That doesnt mean that you should negotiate your best deal. Student: No, absolutely. And with this deal here I would do as Dave said. I would explain to them that first of all you got to pay a realtor, thats 7 percent, take that right off the $110. The condition only says good. What
does that mean? Do you need new carpet? And let them know well, what do you think you can carpet for? What do you think you can pay for? Do you want people in and out of your home? Do you want to deal with a realtor? Theres a bunch of things here that you can tell this person that brings the price down to a price where youre going to make a profit, youre going to help them, theyre not going to go into foreclosure.
And again, you just talk to them and let them know that youre there to help them. And you help them with information. You help them by learning how to do this and giving them the information, letting them know what it is like to list a property ________________. Joe Crump: Tell them the story about how people have reacted to you. I mean are people angry at you when you do a deal like this, do they feel theyve been taken advantage of? Student: No, not all. I was telling several people here about a deal we did, where a home a lady and a gentleman, they were a couple, they called us. And they had been trying to sell their home for five years, five years. I went into the lady and I talked to her. She had the home listed with several different realtors. And I thought the monthly payment was pretty high, as she was paying a high interest rate. However, she had good credit. And I told her I would take the house subject-to, again, after talking with her, listening to her, seeing her child, looking at the house, the different things that you do to build a relationship with this person.
Because when you build a relationship with this person like we talk about ten minutes ago, if an investor comes in behind your back they wont sell to them because they dont trust them. So if you build a relationship with this person I mean it is not a long-term relationship, but earn their trust and let them know that youre there to help them, it makes all the difference.
So this lady five years trying to sell her house. Jeff and I went in, we told her what we could do for her. The relief in her face was just unbelievable. I mean she literally started tearing up and crying, five years Ive been trying to do this, this sounds like a great idea, this is what I want to do. And she was more than willing to refinance the house to bring the interest rate down to get a better payment so that we could take it subject-to and get a person in there and make a profit. And this happened after a 20-minute conversation.
So then the next day she called and she said, Well, my husband and the realtor want to meet with you. And I was a little concerned; we were fairly new at this. But the realtor is sitting there and he was asking us how we do what we do and all these different questions. And we explain to him that we take over the home or we locate properties for investors. And how we go about do it: subject-to, making the payments, getting a person in there, getting them qualified.
And the realtor is sitting there, and come to find out after about ten minutes of conversation, this realtor had eight lease-option homes. He had done this with eight different people, but didnt help her. And we were floored. Bottom line is we have the house and that realtor is no longer dealing with them. But if you go in with the intention of helping this person, listening to their need, not their want but their need and how you can help them, it works great for everybody. Joe Crump: Everybody is going to be different on how you deal with sellers. You listen to Azams deals, I mean he just gets right to the point. You know he doesnt screw around with being nice. I mean he just gets right to the point. Everybodys going to be a little different, their personality. But this is my mindset, this is where I go with my deals when I talk with people. I want to do that I can sleep at night, I want to know that I can be happy with my life. I also want to know that I make a lot of money at this. So I got to find a balance.
Were going to move on to the next one. Student: ____________ Joe Crump: Go ahead. Go ahead. One more, one more. Student: ________________ Student: Which one? Ill go _________ ask my question. Joe, something just popped into my head. What if you got somebody with a variable-rate mortgage? What happens then? Joe Crump: Well, you have to prepare for it. You have to prepare for that mortgage to change or they do if it is going to be on a land contract. So theyre going to have to everybody knows what a variable-rate mortgage is. If the index goes up, the mortgage rate goes up. And they have caps on them on how much they can go up. It is usually two and six, which means that it can go up two percent in one year, up to six percent over the life of the loan on the interest rate.
One percent on a $100,000 dollars is about $70 dollars. So if it goes up 2 percent in a year and it is a $100,000 dollar property, it is going to go up $140 dollars on the payment. That can be pretty substantial. So if youre paying him $900 and hes paying $700 and it goes up 2 percent one year, now hes up to $840, hes got a very small margin there. If it goes up again the following year, he could be in bad shape. So then he would have to come out of pocket. So he may not want to do it that way. You know, once again, you have to negotiate that stuff and see if hes going to do it and you have to be aware of it too. So that if you buy a property like that you have to be aware that maybe that seller isnt going to keep make those payments, or the payments arent going to be enough to cover that amount.
But it may be a good enough deal to go ahead and accept that risk yourself, because you know youre going to get a decent enough lease payment on it. So if it does go up and you can sell it in a year, or two years, or three years,
you just figure out what the numbers are and make sure that it makes sense. Student: Thats probably a good question to ask the seller if it is a variable-rate mortgage. Joe Crump: Well, youre going to know before it is closed, but that would be a good question. Student: Ive never even thought of it. That could really screw you up. Joe Crump: Yeah. Student: Anyways, on to the next one, right? Sellers Joe Crump: By the way, these are I do this exercise Ive done it several times and this is the best questions and the most questions Ive ever had on just one. And Ive gone through the whole list in this amount of time before. So congratulations for that. I think this is great, its a lot more fun. Go ahead. Student: The sellers asking price is $150,000. Oh, I got to wait. Student: Hold on. Joe Crump: You need a napkin or something? Student: ________________ Joe Crump: You got a napkin there or do you need one? Do we have a napkin? Student: _________________ Student: You ready? $150. Joe Crump: Will you grab us a napkin? Student: $150,000. The value is $150,000. Condition is good. First mortgage is $110,000. Theres a second mortgage on the property of $10,000. Payment is $1100 bucks. His alternatives to selling: he can list it with a realtor or for sale by owner. But the guy hates the realtors and he wont leave money on the table. Carry terms ___________________. Student: ___________________ Student: __________ on terms, yes. Late on payments, no. And the guy says he wont leave money on the table.
I think Id take if on this deal here, Id start right out with a subject-to, and Id sit down and talk to him like Nina
says. And Id offer him the $120 on the subject-to. Hes either say, yes, no, or maybe. But if hes really serious that hes not going to leave money on the table, then Id put a wraparound mortgage on the house or a land contract, I guess. Or maybe he would take somewhere between the $150 and the $130. Student: ___________ Student: Anyways, I tried to put it on the land contract and sell it out or give him the $150 if I had to. And then sell it for $165, probably, on a lease option. Joe Crump: You can tell Daves in the mentor program. He knows this. Anybody disagree with what he just said? Student: Yeah, I disagree. Joe Crump: Go ahead. Student: See to me, I dont know. Joe Crump: Speak into the mic please. Student: Im sorry. I have no idea since I never did this. But to me he doesnt seem to be too much motivated if he wants to list it with a realtor and has the time to do it or even to wait til somebody comes and looks at his __________________ Joe Crump: All he is saying is try it. Student: Oh, okay. Joe Crump: Make the offer. The guy looks to me like the guy is not motivated, but hes willing to take terms. So hes willing to get payments on it. So that doesnt necessarily mean hes motivated. You know, he says, look, Ill just take payments, if I can get my full price. If I have to sell it with a realtor, its going to come down. I mean theres probably not enough reason for him to accept that price, but it doesnt mean that we shouldnt ask for it. Student: If you dont ask, you dont get. Joe Crump: _________ Student: And just one thing too that also if he would sell it with a realtor. I mean hes got almost $11,000 dollars that hed be tied up anyways so you could easily negotiate $139,000 or $140,000 on it all so.
Joe Crump: Theoretically. But if he says, look, hey, you know, Im taking terms, its not cash. You know I can get cash if I do it this way. It just depends on it depends on the situation. So much of this is situational.
Okay, lets go to the next one. Whos got the next one? Were going to run out of time. _____________ Student: _____________ Joe Crump: Well just do as many of these as we can. Student: The asking price is $35,000. Joe Crump: By the way, if you havent figured it out by now Declons not coming today. Student: _______________ Joe Crump: Yeah, hes in New York. Hes stuck in a hotel. I talked to him last night and he wasnt particularly happy. He apologizes to everyone. Student: ________ Joe Crump: Sorry. Go ahead. Student: Value is $55,000. Condition is fair. Needs about $3,000 dollars to fix up. The first mortgage is $20,000. Zero for a second. PITI is $200 a month. Alternatives are list with a realtor. Carry terms no, late on payments no. Joe Crump: Youre the rehab guy. Student: What I would try to do is try and wholesale this to an investor. Get the investor possibly to pay cash. Negotiate that price. If they have $20,000 in the first mortgage, try to negotiate maybe $25,000 to $30,000. And then try to wholesale it to an investor. Maybe assign the deal for $3,000. Joe Crump: How do you make money if youre wholesaling? He needs $3,000. Student: ______________ Joe Crump: Im sorry. Im reading that wrong. Okay. Student: When they would resell it. Joe Crump: Exactly. You, as a rehab guy, what would you have to get that property at to make it worth doing?
Student: I could answer that. Joe Crump: Let Rick. He does this. Student: Basically, what I would want to make is somewhere between on a deal sometime like this would be between $15,000 and $20,000 dollars. So purchase it, if theyre asking $35, wed have $38 plus your closing costs, youre at about $12,000 to $15,000 right there. Joe Crump: So what kind of offer are you suggesting? Student: I would offer somewhere around $28,000. Joe Crump: Okay. So if you can get cash out for $28,000. See if you can negotiate that. And if you could it might even make sense for him to do the deal himself. But there are a lot of investors that will take less than that kind of profit, and you would assign those. And you wont make as much money, $3,000.
And lets say you did get it for $28,000, does it make sense to rehab it yourself? Say you have the money and you can rehab it, you can buy it with cash, or maybe get hard money loans, or you get somebody else to finance it for you, get an investor. Does it make sense to do that property and make the money or make the $3,000 dollars? Student: It all depends on your situation. What youre looking for in the deal, I guess. Joe Crump: What would make it I guess it makes, yeah. So its all going to depend on whether or notsee I think it a lot of times makes sense just to make money now rather than go through, especially rehabs. You got all this money tied up, you got your cash tied up, you got loans on the property possibly, and you got to wait maybe takes a month, two months, three months to get the work done, another two or three months to get it sold. So youre in this six months with all your money.
Lets say you only have a limited amount of money and youre able to do ten properties, youre going to stop. And thats having a lot of cash. So a lot of times it makes sense just to flip this property, move on to the next one,
and wait for the ones that make you $100,000 dollars because those are out there too. Actually, Rick just did one. Student: Joe, can I ___________ Joe Crump: Sorry, go ahead. Student: Can I - ________ lets say for $30, give them $1,000-dollar option with a right to fix it up. Then I dont have all my holding costs would be $200 dollars a month. Joe Crump: On a land contract. Student: Not a land contract, just an option contract with a right to fix up the property for $3K. Joe Crump: Before I start sinking money into it, I think Id want to have ownership rights rather than options. Because those options are too easy __________ in my opinion. So what I try to do, and actually Ive done this, where we get a property on a land contract because sometimes it is easier to convince somebody to get a good price and get terms if it is a short-term land contract. Just give six months and interest free, and I dont have to make any payments, and I got six months to fix it up. Theyre protected because youre putting money into the property. So if you default, you dont close the deal, they can have the property. So thats a great argument for them. Student: I dont know, as I see it, since the price hes asking is really low, it shouldnt be absolutely no problem to get a hard money loan and then $3,000-dollar repair. I mean usually rehabbing starts about $10,000 - $15,000 at least. Joe Crump: This is a cosmetic repair. Student: Yeah, this is like carpet and walls and maybe outside paint or something. I mean that shouldnt take like longer than month or two, max. Dont you think it would make sense to take, like, even a hard money loan and do it yourself, and then just sell it. Joe Crump: Me paint, me do drywall, me clean toilets. Student: No, have somebody no, I mean I get the hard money loan and somebody paint it.
Joe Crump: _____________ Im not being factious. I am being factious, but I (Laughing) No, you have to decide does this make sense for you. And I think when you start out just take the money. Just move on to the next deal. What Im trying to create here for you is a paper business. Youre just moving paper. Youre not even you dont even go to this property. You dont have to go look at this property. You dont have to see what the repair you get the investor to do it. Student: The only difference is to me Joe Crump: ________________ Student: - profit of $10,000 is a lot for you, its nothing. Joe Crump: No, no. I just made this deal over the phone. I can the time it takes me to do drywall and paint and carpet, I could have done ten more deals or more. Student: No, I would have somebody already lined up. Because I have people where I know they do this kind of rehabbing. And they would be Joe Crump: I think it is a mistake. Student: Yeah? Joe Crump: Yeah, yeah. Student: All right. Student: ____________________ Joe Crump: Especially when youre starting, Connie. If you got the cash and you need to put it some place and you want to make more money. Student: So I just want to review this. The quick flip on this would basically be youd say it is $35, needs $3,000, so you offer $32,000. Kind of hold the three, then what, you flip it with a $5,000 dollar assignment with $15,000 for the new guy, the buyer. Or am I seeing that wrong? Joe Crump: What were doing is creating a purchasing agreement for, hopefully, $28,000 or more. Student: ________________ Joe Crump: Maybe he just takes $35. Still a pretty good deal even at $35. Student: Yeah. Joe Crump: So you take $35, you know youve got it under purchase agreement now, you can close it within
60-90 days, you go and show that to your investor. You can assign that to them. They pay you $3,000 dollars, they close the deal, they buy it for $35,000. Theyve already paid you $3,000. So they pay $38. Student: Okay. Joe Crump: All they have to is put $5,000 into it. Now they can go out and now theyre at, what, $43. So theyve got $12,000 dollars profit if they dont pay a realtor. Its kind of marginal for them. But Ive seen investors take deals at a lot less than that. Student: How do you determine the $3,000 dollars? Joe Crump: It is based on the amount of equity that youve got. Student: _______________ Joe Crump: Oh, the fix up. Student: Yeah. Joe Crump: Yeah, well Student: __________________ Joe Crump: I ask him, Whats wrong with the property? But then lets say the foundation is cracked and it is a $60,000 dollar fix. And my investor goes over there and says, Hey, the foundations crack. Lets be more reasonable. Lets say it is a roof thats leaking and its a $5,000 dollar fix. And my investor goes over there and says, I would have bought that property but its got a roof that is leaking. Thatd cost me five grand. I go back in and say, Can you knock five grand off the price? I got a contingency. Im out of the deal if he says no. I let my investor decide whether it makes sense or not, whether that $3,000 is real. You decide based on what your told by the seller. And if the seller tells you an untruth, you always have recourse to walk away and you didnt waste your time going out looking at this property that you didnt want to go into anyway because its got a leaky roof. Student: Doesnt your investor get mad _____________ something like that when you dont have an idea what it really looks like? Joe Crump: Ive never had a problem with that. Nina, have you had a problem with that?
Student: No. _____________________________ thats what they do all day. Usually call them on the road when you get a deal like this, give them the address ____________________________. Joe Crump: Would that $38,000-dollar deal work for one your people at $55 value? Student: ___________________ Joe Crump: So even though it would be marginal to us, it would work for another investor, right? Student: Absolutely. Joe Crump: Okay. Student: Joe, you could even take that property and make some serious cash on that. Because even if you paid the $35 and you lease option it, youre holding $20 in the back end. $20,000 if its worth Joe Crump: If you fixed it up. Student: If you fix it up. But why would you do a sweat equity? Joe Crump: Thats what I was going to bring up next. Thats a great idea. But are they dont a contract, you mean? Student: Yep, yep. Joe Crump: Okay, lets say you got it on terms. And you got it for they were able to give it to you for $35,000 and they gave it to you on a land contract. That wouldnt be a bad way to buy it. I mean it sounds to me like they want to go to a realtor or they probably wouldnt do that, but this wouldnt be a bad offer to make. $35,000 on terms, 5-year land contract, and then turnaround and sell it on a lease option, but a lease option with sweat equity. You put an ad in the paper that says, Sweat equity. Work for value, or whatever. Lease option.
So basically what youre doing youre still selling it to them for $55,000, but youre allowing them to come into it and do the work. And lets say it needs $3,000 dollars and lets say it is a serious $3,000. Lets say its a furnace and its got to have a furnace in there. What I would do okay, you got to come in with $3,000-dollar worth of work. That work has to be done before you
move in. Once I approve it, has to be approved by me, once it is approved then you can move in as soon as you give me another $3,000-dollars as a lease-option fee.
Now youre improving your property. Its your money thats going towards that property, but it is going into the property. And then you have to come up with another $3,000 dollars or whatever that is, you can negotiate. Maybe they dont have six grand, maybe they have four grand. They could do three under the work and one to you. Or maybe it just needs a furnace and cosmetic work and just $1,000 bucks for the furnace and the other $2,000 they can give to you. You just have to figure out what theyve got to work with and make it work. Student: How do you do that ______________ Joe Crump: The seller? How do you find out what the buyer has? Student: Yeah. Joe Crump: Thats my question how much do you have for down payment? In your ad youre putting rent to own, sweat equity, how much do you have for a down payment? Student: Straight out. Joe Crump: Yeah. Student: They tell you that. Student: Sure. Joe Crump: Well, then theyll tell me, Well, I got $2,000. Well, if you had $4,000 I could probably make this work. Student: Okay. Joe Crump: Well, I dont know. I dont have $4,000. Do you want to do it for $2,000? You know, I mean you have to decide. It is a negotiation thing. Maybe it makes sense to do it for $2,000. Say, well, you got to put that $2,000 into the property. I still got $20,000 dollars worth of equity. And Im going to get that money later plus they just fixed up the property for you, and you got a tenant who has money into the property. So thats a pretty strong tenant to have.
Student: And why wouldnt raise the ______________. Im sorry why wouldnt you raise why wouldnt you leave it would you leave it at $55,000 when you sell it to him just because he does the work? Joe Crump: Lease option, yeah. ______ raise it to $60,000. Student: In this case would it be all right to have a network of other investors, and you know someone who likes to do the fix-up jobs. So you can put down the __________ $38 and he can buy it. And pay you the $3,000 fee and then he can take his time to fix it up and sell it and you havent lost anything on it. Joe Crump: Thats exactly what were talking about. What were talking about is youre giving it to an investor to buy it, hes going to pay you a fee to take it over. So thats perfect, yeah. Student: Joe, I know that some of the pride in some of your methods are that you can buy properties that you dont live by. Now what you just said over there was that theyre going to make the repairs that you have to approve. Does that mean that you have to go to the property to approve them? Joe Crump: It depends on where you do it. I mean if youre it depends on how you do this. First of all, I think its great to be able to do properties outside your area. For anybody whos in the mentor program, Im going to give leads that are all over the country. One, thats going to teach you how to talk to sellers. Two, you might put together deals as well, hopefully, if you follow what were talking about.
Now at that point if you put together a deal and you find a buyer, you have to decide is that property in condition, do I want to mess with this situation, is it worth it for me to drive out there, is it 100 miles away, is it 6 states away, I mean how far is it? You got to make those decisions. Student: So you say youre not going to advertise it as a deal where the guys going to have to fix up the property in order for you to approve it ________________. Joe Crump: Exactly. _______ just dont approve it.
Student: Okay. Joe Crump: Get receipts. You know do the best you can. Have them send you a photo. I dont know, theres other stuff you can do. You just have to use your head and then some.
Lets move to another, lets move to one on this side. I dont know if we have enough to dookay. Student: Asking price $295,000. Joe Crump: Am I wearing you guys out on this? Are you understanding is this still helpful? Are we still on track with this? Do you want to go til 4:30 instead of 4:00 or do you want to stop closer to 4:00? Student: ______________ Joe Crump: 4:30, you want to do another half an hour? Does everybody want to do that? Student: Value $325,000. Joe Crump: Okay, were going to go to 4:30. Student: $325. Condition good. Joe Crump: Unless we get thrown out. Will we get thrown out? Student: First mortgage $250,000. Joe Crump: Whats that? Student: No second mortgage. Monthly payment, PITI, $2,225. Joe Crump: They like this deal. Student: Im sorry about that. It is $2,250. $2,250, Im sorry. Alternative to selling: must sell. Carry terms, no. Cash only. Late on payments, one payment behind, lost job.
Now the way this is setup like it is, you know, $295 is about 90 percent of its value. And you could make something work with that, but considering since he doesnt want terms, youre only going to work on a cash deal. So if you got it for a cash deal at $295,000, you know, youre still looking at 90 percent, which isnt quite enough. Youre making $30,000 off of it. And if want to do this deal, youd want to take it and assign it to somebody else. And that means theres $30,000 profit in
it. And if you took, say, $10,000 that only leaves $20,000 for the investor to take.
But your best option would be try to work that asking price down a little lower. If you got him to do it at say 80 percent, it would be $260,000 and the first mortgage was $250,000. That gives him $10,000 he can put in his pocket and gets him out of this deal, because you know hes going to be hurting for foreclosure soon because hes already one payment behind and he lost his job. Joe Crump: _____________ Student: So you try to negotiate your best cash price. Joe Crump: Exactly. Now this guy is a lot more motivated that he thinks he is, because hes got to have cash. He might go for terms on this deal. It might still make sense. If you got this thing at $295 on a land contract, it might make sense to do that, because you could get a decent down payment. You got 5 percent down, thats $10 grand. Five percent down is, how much, $15,000. Student: Yeah. If he says he only wants cash you could say Ill put $10,000 cash in your pocket and take over your mortgage and then you can go assign it to somebody else. And with $260,000 you still got plenty of profit to mess with and you can get $20,000 for an assignment fee and still assign it to somebody else and take $45,000 for the end investor with you putting still $20,000 in your pocket. Joe Crump: Right. So I think what youre saying here is given two options. Student: Sure. Joe Crump: You know, say, you know you understand Im an investor; Ive got to make money on this deal. Theres two ways I can buy property. One, substantially under market value, or two, on terms. Student: Yeah, you really cant work the numbers that he gave you. Joe Crump: Whats that?
Student: You really cant work the numbers he gave you. Youd have to work something, either terms or get a better cash deal. Joe Crump: And you have to help him understand why you know, hes a payment behind. Hes credit has already taken a hit. Hes got some equity there. I mean he could put it on the market with a realtor but hes credit is going to get worse and worse. And if he has one 30- day late right now that only takes a year to recover from, and hell be able to go get another mortgage. Student: How many payments late does it take before they start foreclosure proceedings? Joe Crump: Depends on the bank. I had a guy that a year and a half and hadnt paid, and they werent foreclosing. It was a VA foreclosure that he bought. But a lot of mortgage companies if theyre really on top of it, you know three, four, five months before they start. Then it will take them another, depending on the state that youre in, another three, four, five, six months to get it down. And then there could be a redemption period. _________________ like that. Student: And youd also have you have to get his payments caught up before you took over his mortgage. Joe Crump: Right. But lets say you got it on a land contract for $295 and you had someone buy it from you subject-to with 5 percent down, which is $15,000. You make up the late payment; you still made $12,000 dollars. Student: Sure. Joe Crump: This could be a good deal. Whos got the deal thats $1.6 million? Student: I got it. Joe Crump: Lets do that one. Because I want you to see that the price does not matter, it is the numbers that make the difference. Student: Asking price is $1.6 million. Student: __________ Student: $1.6. Value is $2 million. Condition is excellent. First mortgage is $1.6 million. Second mortgage zero. PITI $13,000 a month. Alternative is foreclosure. Terms, yes. Late payments, no.
Joe Crump: Is that $13,000 dollars scary? Student: Oh yeah. Joe Crump: Why is it scary? Whats scary about it? Student: If its yours it is scary. Joe Crump: Is it your money? Student: No. Joe Crump: Why should it be scary? It is intimidating. Student: ________Can you find somebody who can afford $13,000 __________? Joe Crump: What if you cant find somebody what if you make first of all, what kind of offer are you making? Student: Okay, I would do a subject-to. Hes willing to do terms and hes only asking the value of what the mortgage is. So you just do a simple Joe Crump: He just wants out. Student: He just wants out. Just do subject-to and find an investor and Id take the rest of the year off. (Laughing) Joe Crump: Lets saylets go away from investors and go to homeowners. Student: Okay. Joe Crump: When you get into these high-priced properties, youre going to look for a homeowner. So now you got to find somebody, you know somebody whos got makes $30,000 or $40,000 dollars a year or $40,000 dollars a month. Student: Sell it at $1.8. Joe Crump: I mean thats half a million dollars a year, thats doctors salary, good-paid doctors salary or real estate investor thats one of my ___________. So I would say that youre exactly right and it is just a numbers game. If you dont find the person to buy this property, what happens? Student: ________________ Joe Crump: What happens is you give it back to him because youve got the right to back out of this deal? Student: I have two
Joe Crump: Youre not going to close it unless you have somebody to give you money, and youre going to get a nice chunk from them because five percent. Student: Couldnt I ask him if he can make the next two- to three-mortgage payments in case I dont find somebody? I mean for the next two or three months, cant I do that? Joe Crump: Well, dont close it. Student: No, no, no. Joe Crump: But yeah that would be great, if he could make a couple of months payments after you close it. Student: Yeah. Joe Crump: I mean if you can negotiate it. Student: Because it is better for him than having his credit damaged with this Joe Crump: Yeah, absolutely. Student: And I also wanted to ask what you think of the idea if you dont find a homeowner able to move in to offer that to a corporation? They have a lot of CEOs where they can offer that to them, you know. Would that make sense or? Joe Crump: Sure. Relocate some kind of corporate housing or rental. Student: Yeah. Joe Crump: I mean if you want if you could find a corporation that had a high-paid CEO that they wanted to
Student: Yeah, or they take and buy it and just rent it out for a year to each of their CEOs. I dont know. Joe Crump: I just think it would take some legwork to try to track that down. I think Id rather just run an ad in the paper and put it into like the business journal of the city. You know put it in the place where the guys with the money, the local Wall Street Journal, put it in the place where the people that have money are reading. Id put it in the daily paper as well. Student: I dont know. I would call some headhunters, some high-rise headhunters, which deal with these kind of companies. Joe Crump: Yeah.
Student: There are people out there that make the kind of money ____________________ Joe Crump: Oh theres a lot of them. A lot of self- employed people that have gone through _________. Student: ___________________ Why would you want to pay a few months rent when hes actually just passing off the property? Joe Crump: It would be a tough negotiating, I think. Student: Yeah. Thats what Im looking at. Joe Crump: He might do it though just to protect his credit. I think if the guy is ready to get out, hes going into foreclosure in the next month or two months or whatever, he doesnt have much alternative Student: ________________ Joe Crump: Yeah, hes going to go jail. (Laughing) Student: ___________________ For something this expensive though wouldnt he be carrying considerable risk taking on a subject agreeing to a subject-to considering he knows the value is $2 million. You know why would he you knowI was thinking maybe allow his credit to be damage temporarily while he waits for the thing to sell you know for a slightly higher price and he gets cashed out and eliminates the huge, ongoing liability. Joe Crump: Right. Thats not I mean thats a consideration. But what if he offered it to you for $1.8 million on contract or $1.9, would it still make sense? What if it was $1,950,000? What if it was $2 million on a land contract, would it still make sense? Student: Well, how would we make money? Joe Crump: $2.1 lease option. Student: I see. Joe Crump: $50,000 dollars down. You can still make money and give him his full price. It is exactly the same as $100,000-dollar property except, yeah, an extra zero. It doesnt make any difference to you. Since I keep picking on Nina, theres another situation about what was the $700,000 dollar? Student: Yeah, we had a $700,000-dollar house and a monthly payment was $4800 dollars.
Joe Crump: I mean she was having problems with this. First of all, trying to sell it. Because you were trying to sell it to an investor, right? Student: I wasnt really sure what to do with it, but once I put it out there I was looking for this investor wanted to lease option this home. And I was going to take the down payment to do it for him. And our house and this is the most expensive house that weve handled at this point, which was $700,000-dollar house, it moved in 4 days. And it was somebody who was getting a large settlement in six months but did not have the cash today to put down. Joe Crump: Average price in the town that she lives is $125,000, so this is a high-priced property for that neighborhood for that town. Student: Yes. I was amazed. It happened so quick. And you know $4800 dollar house payment I was just like, wow, thats a lot of money, but it wasnt to these people. They wanted to be where that house was located, which is an area in Indianapolis thats very popular with people that are self-employed or with high incomes. It is on the water in Indianapolis. And this house moved very, very, very quickly. It was amazing. Joe Crump: One of the highest percentages of people that go bankrupt are doctors that are brand new. Now they suddenly have a $300,000-dollar-a-year income and they go and buy everything, because theyve been living on $25,000 dollars a year for the past 7-8 years. Theyve got this huge debt because of their school bills, which theyre not going to get rid of even in a bankruptcy. But they get themselves in a real mess because they feel like, oh, now I make money. Now I finally have the money. And they go and spend it.
My sister-in-law is a cardiologist and I remember her talking about this and this one of the things that they warned her about as soon as they as soon as she got through her residency. So theres a lot of people with big incomes that have terrible credit and thats something to
remember, and something that makes this type of property attractive.
Why dont you do one? Student: Sure. Student: Okay, we got another one here. Student: Asking price is $60,000. Value is $90,000. Condition is poor. It needs $5,000 dollars to fix up. First mortgage is zero. Second mortgage is zero. Monthly payment is zero. Alternatives are list with a realtor or for sale by owner. Terms, no. Late on payments, no, since there are none. (Laughing)
So Id probably try to get this for like $50,000 on a subject-to and sell it to an investor for maybe $70,000 with the investor Joe Crump: Let me stop you just for a second. Student: Yeah. Joe Crump: Theres no mortgage on there. Student: Okay. Joe Crump: So can you do subject-to? Student: Oh, Im sorry. You mean just buy it with a land contract. Joe Crump: Exactly. Student: Yeah, okay. But then, okay, yeah. Joe Crump: By the way, if youre in a trust-deed state - theres mortgage states and theres trust-deed states. If youre in a trust-deed state, its called a contract for deed. Student: Okay. But Id still, yeah, try to get it for like $50,000. Sell it for $70,000 to an investor with him picking up the $5,000 in fix ups. Joe Crump: That would be a nice place to start. What if they wouldnt accept the terms? Student: The $50? Joe Crump: He says he wont accept terms. Student: Oh, I see what youre saying. Well, you can still make money if you gave him $60,000, a contract for $60,000.
Joe Crump: Right again, you put the right choice of negotiating down to the best-case scenario or what you think might be the best-case scenario and then moving up from there. Student: _________________ Joe Crump: Yeah, I mean I think it depends. This condition poor, $5,000-dollar fix up. I think Id start questioning about it. Why is it so poor? Is it the furnace is bad? Is the roof leaking? Sometimes theyll just say, Oh, it just needs carpet. You know, its really a mess and I got so much stuff here. That maybe all it is. Or maybe, well, the porch is sinking into the ground because the foundation is a mess, and then I had this tree that fell on it. That one wall is gone. Actually, a fire and its kind of an empty shell and it actually has to be torn down. Student: So are you going Joe Crump: But it should cost about $5 grand to fix it up. I can get my brother to come in. Student: _______________ Joe Crump: (Laughing) Student: Going back to what you were saying about an investor that comes in and finds out it cost more to fix it, and youre not really concerned about that, but how does that have any Joe Crump: Well, lets say an investor came lets say you negotiated a price, they told you it was okay, the price. They told you, okay, well take $50,000 for it, cash. You send your investors out there. They realize that the house has been burned out and it would have to be completely replaced, that it is not worth $10,000 dollars let alone $50,000. You can go back to that person andif it something like that Id just say, No thanks. Student: Forget it. Joe Crump: But if it was maybe $10,000 dollars more worth of work. You know well see foundation issues, or you know maybe theres a septic system and that septic has a bad finger system and it has got to be replace and thats $5,000 bucks. I mean in my course I teach some about inspections. Somebody asked me, well, you dont do inspections, why do you teach
inspections? Because to know whats possible here would be very helpful. And if you dont go through my program you need to go over to Lowes and walk down the aisle and find out how much it costs to do things and go through a house, and learn how to do an inspection, and learn all the different functions of house. The electrical work, go and turn on the lights to find out if the electrical works.
I mean there are things that you can do that are basic. Turn on the water to see if the water is running. Flush the toilets to see if it flushes. I mean these are really basic things you can do to find out if it is probably reasonable to think that those things are okay. If you flush the toilet and you go downstairs in the basement and a bunch of water has just been flushed down there, you know you got a problem. And same with the septic system. If you run the water, if you know they got a septic system and you run the water for a half an hour and you go outside and theres a big puddle out in the backyard, you know that the finger system is no good. For those of you who live in septic areas. Student: Even when you see or hear that the condition is poor, would you still say Im not going to check the house even if it is not physically possible? Joe Crump: Exactly. I dont go to see the property, especially an ugly one. Student: One quick question. How do you check the condition of a vacant property? Joe Crump: Well, the seller is going to have a pretty good idea. I mean lets say the seller is in California and the property is in Texas, youre in Indiana. And that point, youre just going to have to say, well, last time you were there, how long ago was it? Well, it was a month ago. When you were, what kind of condition was it in? Has it been broke do you have anybody in the neighborhood, did you have any family members there? No, weve all moved. I dont know anybody in the area. How are you going to get rid of this property? I want to find out what the deal is with the property.
And they say, well, why dont we go ahead and put the deal together and Ill send my investor of there. And if theres something really different from what you told me it was, you know if it is in a really nasty neighborhood, and all the windows have been knocked down, broken into, and played in by kids and sprayed painted, you know you can get a better price on it later. And those people will lower the price more than likely, if theyre able to. You know if they dont have a mortgage to keep them from doing that. And if they do and if theyre not willing to do that then just dump it. Go on to the next one.
Whos got another one? Whos got another deal? How many more people have deals we havent done? One, two, three. Okay. Student: Okay, this ones asking $155,000. Value is $220,000. Condition is okay with a first at $105,000. No second. $950 monthly payment. Alternatives are he could keep and hes got a tenant that pays $1,000 dollars. He will take terms and hes not late on payments. Joe Crump: How much does the tenant pay? Student: $1,000. Joe Crump: $1,000. Student: SoI guess in looking at this my approach would be to you could offer a land contract at $155,000 and just keep the thing I guess. Joe Crump: That monthly payment is $950, right? Student: Yeah. Joe Crump: Thats on his $105,000 though. If he sells it for $155,000Im sorry what did you say? Did you say contract or subject-to? Student: Land contract. Joe Crump: Okay. So land contract at $155,000. Student: Yes. Joe Crump: The payment is going to be higher than the $950. Its going to be higher than the $1,000 dollars a month that they pay. So hes going to have a negative cash flow if he does that, if that tenant stays there.
Wheres the mic? Student: I was saying that the rest of the property would be empty so there would be a vacancy whether youre going to occupy it or rent it. Joe Crump: Make it vacant before closing. Is that what youre saying? Student: Yeah. Joe Crump: Yeah. Make it vacant before closing. Put that in the contract. Because otherwise make the tenant the first give them the opportunity to go up and rent, you know to buy it from you on a lease option. But you want to check on that tenant and see if theyve paid on time. If theyve been paying on time for the past six months, and all you have to do is ask for check stubs to see if theyve been paying on time. Although, they may just give you a money orders and I havent gotten that. Student: So my first suggestion in this case then what would you write a land contract for something slightly lower than the asking and then resale it on a lease option? Joe Crump: Exactly. Student: To a new tenant probably. Joe Crump: To a new tenant Student: Unless the existing tenant would you get them to take the rent increase. Joe Crump: Only if that tenant can prove that theyve been paying on time. Student: Yep. Joe Crump: Okay. And then negotiate something, whatever you think you can get for that property. Do you have something? Student: Yeah, I was just wondering about the land property part. Is there more benefits from that because ______________ I see that we do the land. When you offer a land contract you can do it at the price that their selling if the value is up high. Is there more Joe Crump: Yeah, you could probably pay $220,000 on a land contract. But see theres no reason because theyre willing to take terms and theyre asking $155,000. So all Im saying is try to negotiate even better than that.
Student: Okay, so whats the difference between the land contract? Whats a land contract? Joe Crump: And a subject-to? Student: Yeah, the difference between them. Joe Crump: Okay. Subject-to is where the deed transfers. You got a deed, youve got Okay, so you understand. Does everybody understand how subject-to works? You have the deed and it transfers to you if youre the buyer. You actually own you actually have the deed in your name. That property is your property in your name.
Land contract, the deed stays in the name of the seller. When you create a land contract that takes the mortgage or equity or whatever is there. If it is all equity or if it is mortgage in an equity, it wraps it all up together and theres a note for a certain price point that you are agreeing to pay that seller who owns title. And as soon as you pay that note off - its not a note, its a land contract as soon as you pay that contract off, then that deed is transferred to you. Does that make sense? Okay.
Ill hold it for you. Student: I was just wondering if how do you separate the two? The money that ________________. Joe Crump: Youre as bad as Nina. (Laughing) Student: You have you owe the gentlemen $105,000. Joe Crump: Okay, owe him $105. He owes $105. Student: Right, he owes $105. And he wants $155. So theres $50,000 dollars difference. Joe Crump: Right hes got $50,000 dollars of equity that he wants to get out of that property. Student: And hes making $950 on the $105. Joe Crump: Correct. Student: Okay, so then when you figure out what youre paying him Joe Crump: Hes paying $950. Student: Hes paying $950. Joe Crump: Right.
Student: So the $50,000 thats leftover, hes going to try and use so much interest and you just figure out the $50,000 how much hes going to charge interest. Joe Crump: What youre going to do is youre going to base Student: ____________ Joe Crump: - Youre going to base your interest on your purchase price on a land contract. So $155 on $155, were going to look at first you have to decide whether youre going to amortize that money or if youre going to do a simple interest. Simple interest is where you pay interest only. So lets say 10 percent if youre paying 10 percent interest on a $100,000-dollar property, 10 percent of $100,000 is $10,000 dollars, right? Divided by 12 is whatever it is. Student: Okay. Joe Crump: Okay, so that would be the monthly payment, if it was interest only. Now if it was a 30-year amortized I cant do these in my head. But if it was 30- year amortized, you would not only pay the interest that $800-some dollars interest, whatever that is $10,000 divided by 12, but also youd pay enough principle towards the purchase price in order to start buying down that loan. So after five years it will be bought down a little bit, not very much probably $50 bucks a month or so. Does that make sense? Does that answer the question? Student: So you just go by the $155 and figure out the interest rate on that. Joe Crump: Right, right. Student: __________ five-year period. _____________ Joe Crump: You can whatever is negotiated in the contract. You can negotiate a 30-year land contract, if you wanted to. It is whatever you negotiate. It could be just a one year. Maybe its a rehab that you know an investor is going to take it and you do a six month, because you know theyre going to turnaround and sell it. See this property is okay condition, maybe it needs a little bit of work and it would bring the value up to $230-$240, maybe an investor would want to take that and buy it from you for $265 and its got a 6-month contract. They just
gave you $10,000 bucks; they have now a land contract that in six months they have to pay off of $155. They do the fix up, sell it for $230. That might be something that might be interesting for you to do, because theres a lot of equity there. Student: It seems to me that the land contract is more in favor of the seller than the buyer. So in a case like this why would you not take it subject-to and then offer a second mortgage for the extra $50,000? Joe Crump: You could do that. You could do second mortgages. I dont lets not get into second mortgages. Student: __________________ Joe Crump: Yeah, but they want their equity. They have $50,000 dollars of equity.
Okay. So we got one more. Okay. Or is it two more that we got. Oh, Gregorys got one too. Student: Okay, weve got an asking price of $110,000. Value is $110,000. Condition says habitable. Student: Say that again? Student: Habitable, which would indicate to me it needs some work. Joe Crump: (Laughing) Just a little. Student: First mortgage Joe Crump: Actually, what habitable means is that you could live in it. Azam, are you in the room? We were doing our challenge thing and hes talking on the phone to this guy. And the guys telling him how terrible the condition is, and he says, Well, is it habitable? Well, Im living in it. Students: (Laughing) Joe Crump: Well, okay. That was not really the question. (Laughing) Habitable would be considered, you know, that the windows are in placed, its got a furnace, its got plumbing, you know its got electrical. It could have a furnace thats 30 years old and ready to die but it is working. Student: Hes got a first mortgage of $50,000. Zero second. PITI is $450. Alternatives to selling could be
renting for $1200 or he could list it. Hes willing to carry terms. Not late on any payments.
Well, I made the assumption that its anywhere from $7K - $10K, maybe even $15K of work needed to make the house more than habitable. So I was thinking of a land contract offer for $85, which would then allow the $10K to $15K in there for fix up and then youd have money for an investor to come and still make money, if they took it over and did the fix up. Joe Crump: I think Id try to get that price a little bit than that. I guess it depends. Did you say $15,000 for the work? Student: Yeah, $10 to $15. Joe Crump: Okay, so that puts you at $100. I guess that only gives you $10,000 profit. Student: Yeah. Joe Crump: So youre going to need more than that if youre going to do it as a fixer up. Although, you might be able to do it as a sweat equity lease option if you got it on a land contract. So if they sold it on land contract for $85 and then have the person come in and do the sweat equity, and maybe they can make it acceptable/habitable for $7,000 rather than $15,000. It doesnt have to be the Tajma Hall. So you got to make a judgment call on that. I think that makes sense. Student: Either that or come up with some good two and a half inch caulk and fix everything. Joe Crump: (Laughing) Very big holes. One more. Student: This is pretty high priced house Joe Crump: Is Azam out there? Student: - asking price is $850,000. Value is $900,000. Condition is excellent. First mortgage from this is $750. Second is $25. And monthly payment $6,450 dollars. Alternative to selling is foreclosure. He will carry the terms. And hes late on just one monthly payment.
Well, in this case I would probably start with the subject-to for $775,000, but it is probably unlikely that he will accept it since the difference between what he owes for his home
and what hes asking is $75,000. So its a pretty substantial chunk of equity that people dont want to throw out. So the second option Joe Crump: Yeah, dont assume that though. Lets assume that hell come down. Even though our natural reaction is and this guys you know hes a corporate lawyer and hes a hardnosed guy and hes going to stick to his price, but hes in foreclosure. Student: Yeah, hes pretty desperate in his position. Joe Crump: ___________ Student: I mean that would be my first offer. But the second offer would be a land contract for $850,000 and I guess this would be 5-year term for 8 or 7 percent. And Ill just be asking for interest rate until the end of five years or ten years, whichever we decide to negotiate. Joe Crump: How would you sell it? Student: I think the lease option, selling somebody for $950,000 or $1 million dollars on a lease option is the way to do it. Joe Crump: Good. With how much lease option fee? Student: Lease option, well on this size of a house $20,000 or $30,000, somewhere in there. Joe Crump: Try for five percent. Try for five percent on higher pricing. You may not get it but _____________ nothing to complain about. Student: _________________ Student: So I was going to say in a prize like this youre talking executive level. Most those people dont play with the contracts and seller financing. They usually have their chunk of money and ______________. Joe Crump: You knowno, no, its not true. Student: _______________ Joe Crump: He cant make his payment. He cant make his payment. See youre thinking about, okay, theyre rich. They live in a $900,000 dollar house; hes rich. Hes got lots of money. Student: I mean the person coming in. Joe Crump: Im sorry. Student: The new buyer.
Joe Crump: What about the new buyer again? Student: Youre not going to be able to do a lease option. Im thinking theyre going to say, you know, I qualify. Theyre not going to be looking for terms. Joe Crump: No. Ive done it. $1.6 million is the highest Ive done. I did a bunch of these in the Hollywood Hills. Student: Yeah, people forget that the American way is living paycheck to paycheck and doesnt matter if they make a million dollars a year. Most people are living paycheck to paycheck, because theyre living above their means. And thats the big thing that you keep harping on about. Dont look at how big the numbers are because its the same. People are the same no matter what. Joe Crump: So somebody asked me at lunch, we usually live above our means. So somebody asked me at lunch, you know, I can pay off my house. Should I pay off my house or should I keep that money to invest in property? What do you think my answer was? Pay off. Pay off the house is my __________. See if you keep the money if you pay off the house you can always get an equity line against that property, if you have to have it. But if you force yourself into a position where you cant put money down, you wont put money down.
You know how do you think I learned this stuff? I learned it because I didnt have any money and I didnt have any credit. So you dont spend money on these deals and dont ever think that you should spend money. Dont ever even consider spending money. Well, hes four months behind in his payment and you know its going to cost me money to close this deal. Man, Id have a hard even if I had some decent equity in it, Id still have a hard time coming out of pocket with a few thousand dollars. I would really baulk at that. I want to see some money happening now to cover the costs.
Now sometimes it makes sense. If there was just a you had a $100,000-dollar property and you were able to have a $70,000-dollar mortgage, and he was willing to take it
you know he let you takeover the loan subject-to and it was, you know, six months behind in payments, it still might make sense. I mean thats $76,000 I mean you still have some equity there. It would probably have to be even less than that for me to want to do it. Student: I think Im starting to get this but Im still a little slow. So subject-to at $775 is by far the better deal rather than going with land contract, right, because doesnt that allow more people to get in later? Joe Crump: Exactly. Student: Okay, so if youd want to try to get them to do a subject-to and only if they wouldnt, when would you then decide whether or not you wanted to do a land contract verses say just skip on the deal on something like this? Youre going to have to if you do a land contract, youre going to have to turnaround and buildsell this for at least ten percent above value, right? Joe Crump: If you got it on land contract, and that land contract was assignable, and you got it for $850, and you sold it for $900, youd make $50,000 dollars, and you could walk away from the deal. Youre still buying you could probably sell it for even more than that. So you could turnaround and sell it on lease option. I think it is probably the best way. Student: But that would only be if youre assigning the land contract to an end user. Thats not to an investor. So thats the difference. Joe Crump: Correct. Student: But weve been talking about selling these to investors, not trying to find end users, right? Or is that all part of the mix? Joe Crump: No, the high-price properties, were going to look for the end user. Student: Okay. Joe Crump: And actually finding lease-option buyers that are going to live there if Im doing lease options, Id like to have those people living there rather than have an investor buy it. Id much rather see somebody whose a homeowner be there, because theres going to have a lot more at stake. An investor, they can walk away a lot
easier. So were going to focus on if were doing lease options, were going to focus on people that are going to live there. Student: So but in your Joe Crump: But that doesnt mean that we dont present that to investors as well. But when we start getting over $3, $4, $500,000 dollars its going to be hard to find any investor whos going to pick up that kind of property unless theres real substantial equity in it. Student: Yeah, but in your program you know on the marketing side of this program, you concentrate mostly on bringing in finding investors rather than finding end users. Joe Crump: Correct. Student: Or finding end users that can come in with zero down. Joe Crump: Im looking for end users that have money. Student: Yeah. Joe Crump: I want somebody that Student: Because hes got to give you $50,000, for instance in order to Joe Crump: Now one of the things that we do is we bring in investors to get on our list. Those investors, theyre going to be good for us for quite some time, because theyll probably be investors for a long time. Lease option, we can also advertise for lease-option buyers and bring those into the list. But theyre only going to be a very, small window of time when theyre going to be interested in lease option because theyre going to go find a house.
So that list isnt going to be as effective and its not going to be long term. Its not going to last as long and you have to replenish it constantly. Whereas an investor list, you can build those guys. And somebody may not buy for a year, maybe three years down the line they finally buy something from you. Or maybe they buy something besides the house from you that you monetize your list
with. You know maybe an affiliate program that you sell something else.
Having that list is such a powerful, powerful thing. You know this list builder thing that were doing, Ive been so excited about it because what Ive done is taken I spend an hour and a half or so on the phone with everybody and talked about what the value is of a list, you know how to develop that list, how to get people on the list, how to make it work, what software to use. And then Im going to take whats called screen capture software. It makes a movie of my computer screen. And Im going to talk into, Im going to show you how to use text pad to build a database, and how to use mail bomber to create the mailings out, and how to create use text pad to create the template for the newsletter every week to this list, and also to show you other ways that you can monetize this list.
This is way I did this internet thing with this because I think it is so integral. You can once you have a list any direct marketer that you talk to makes a lot of money on his list. My list is worth millions of dollars. My half a million people on my list is worth millions of dollars and it is going to make more than that over the years. So if I was going to sell it, I was going to sell it for a lot of money because its going to keep making me money over and over. If you build this list, it is going to give you residual income. All you have to do is send the mail out and you get money. Its beautiful; its a beautiful thing.
So you can sell your properties to those people, you can sell other peoples properties. You know, lets say I took somebody off Ninas 40 houses on her list and I put it on my list, and I sent it out to my investors, and those investors raise their hands and say Im interested in this one. You connect them with Nina. She pays you a referral fee if they buy the property. And it may be one that shes getting a referral fee for, so she gets part of the
referral fee, you get part of the referral fee. You know maybe you make $250, $500,000 dollars depending on what the deal is and whether it makes sense.
Theres going to be other investors that are going to be willing to do that with you as well. And what Im trying to do is create a database and a mastermind of people that will work amongst each other. Because for me, one of the most valuable things in this whole process is masterminding. You know I learn so much from my students. A lot of the stuff comes out of their experiences. You know
I used to tell students, dont run this ad in the freebie papers, you know the thrifty nickel, the penny savers. I ran an ad there a bunch of times; I didnt have any luck on it. And then Rick goes out and runs it, but he puts five ads in. He puts one in the homes one, he puts one in north section, east section, west section, south section. Cost him the same as the daily paper and he got the same results. So he just doubled his results; he got double the amount of calls now. Cost him twice as much, but was able to do it in the same area and double his results. So I changed my opinion about that.
Whenever I say anything absolutely, positively is going to be true, somebody, one of my students goes and does something different that whacks that out of the neighborhood. And thats what is so neat and whats so valuable. And these things that are in my program are coming out 90 percent of it come out my experience, because Ive been in it such a long time. You know Ive done hundreds, literally, hundreds of millions of dollars in real estate transactions over the last 20 years.
I dont know anybody that has more experience than me in residential property. Sure, theres people in commercial property, theres people in large, multi-family buildings that have different types of experience, but I dont know anybody that has more experience than me.
When I started I had a mentor in my business. Im above my mentor now. I got another mentor and I am not above that mentor. Then I got another mentor and I went above that mentor. I want to find I keep looking for mentors that I can keep reaching. Theyre going to keep taking me to the next level. So I try to find people that will do that for me in my life. And although Im not doing it in real estate right now, although my mentors are my students, but Im not doing that so much in real estate going out and looking for guys that know more than me, because theres not that. But theres this group mind that has this energy that creates exponential power and thought and Im getting esoteric here, but its true.
I dont know if you guys you put two people together, put their minds together, it is way more powerful than having two people thinking. You get three people together you know Azam and I will sit at the Steak and Shake. Meet me over at Steak and Shake at 9:30 tonight and will have a shake, and we end up talking til one or two in the morning about what were doing next. I mean thats where we developed the challenge. Heres how were going to do it, heres how were going to make it work, heres how were going to play it out.
You know I want to try this, oh but what about this, or what about that. And then Phil got in the mix, and then Nina got in the mix, and Rick got mix because they would throw in ideas because wed be talking to them about this stuff. And wed figure out how to make this thing work. So I mean the concept for that was to make this refutable, powerful claim that this can be done anywhere in the country, any price, any type of market up market, down market, doesnt matter theres motivated people anywhere you go, and to show that.
So that mastermind has group because Ive been in this process sort of when I started this I kind of went off on my own and Ive been very insular, Ive been veryits
just been me. It just was me for a long time thinking up these ideas. And it was working. I made money, the business built. And then I was in my office just typing away and talking to people on the phone, but it was just me. So when I brought in other minds, you know when I found people that were thinking on the same path that I was, I started latching on to those people. And some of them latched on to me. And it built around me, mostly my students. And we created this kind of inner circle of people that work together.
I want to keep expanding that. I want to keep working with people. I want just for my needs I want that. But I also think thatI think having a mentor, having a mastermind, it is much easier to join one than it is to create one. And if I had this to do over again, I would join one. I would find the best people I could and I would join it. And it doesnt have and I tell this to you guys, it doesnt have to be me, it doesnt have to be my mastermind. It doesnt have to you dont have to come do this with me. Im saying whatever you do, do it with somebody. Do it with somebody thats above you, somebody and Im talking about with this knowledge, not any other level of above but with this knowledge, somebody who understands this process better than you do. Do it with a group of people that will make your mind start to snap and things will start happening for you, because it will change your life.
You are who you surround yourself with. Youll become the people you surround yourselfif all you do is go out and drink beer with the buddies and watch football, its all youre going to become. If all you do is, you know in college is smoke dope and do that, I mean thats all youre going to become. Youre not going to go any further. So the whole idea here is - you know they say you are what you eat, but you are what you think too. You are what youre around. Theres an energy that
everybody youre around will throw out there and you want to be able to absorb it.
So with that said, I think were done for the evening. I would like you guys the ones that feel that this would be a value to them to join us and to become a part of this mentor program, this mastermind program. I think you know what it includes. Ive gone over that this morning. If you dont know, ask Azam or I. Well tell you all the because it includes an awful lot of stuff. I mean theres a huge amount of materials and theres some bonus. You know were going to give leads right now because of the seminar. I want people right now to do it. But I want you to do it only if it is right for you.
I think that you know in your heart whether this is right for you or not. And if it is not, dont do it. Because youre just going to waste your time, your money, and youre going to waste my time. And youre going to create a bad energy in the group and I dont want that. So keep that in mind. Come see us in the back. Azam and I are going be back here. Ask us questions if you want.
I really want to thank everybody for coming. Its been you know Ive spent a lot of time with you guys over the last it seems like Ive know Im getting to know everybody because we had drinks late last night, everybodys going off in different directions. Im hearing stories about Hooters, and Im hearing stories about two in the morning dancing things, while Im sound asleep. So it sounds like it has been a fun weekend for a lot of people. And I hope it has been educational for you. I hope that youve walked away with some good stuff. My goal here was to give you just a ton of content and to give you as much information as I could in the time. And then, hopefully, get some of you to join and work with me in the future.
So thanks a lot. Students: (Clapping)
[End of audio]
Appendix
Every Contract And Form In This Book Is Here
Property Profile Sheet Inspection Form Purchase Agreement Counter Offer Inspection Response Investor Agreement Investor Qualifying Sheet Quitclaim Deed Tenant Application Lease Agreement Investor & Buyer Qualifying Sheet Option To Buy Real Estate (used in conjunction with lease for a Lease-Option Sale)
Property Profile Form
Where is the property located?
How much do you want for it?
What kind of condition is it in? Do all of the major functions (mechanicals) work? Furnace Water Heater Roof
How long have you owned it?
How much did you pay for it?
Do you have a mortgage, if so, how much do you owe?
How much do you think it is worth? Why?
Why are you selling?
Are you moving out of the area?
Do you have to sell or would you consider keeping it?
CRAWL SPACE Access________________________________________________________________________ Framing_______________________________________________________________________ Subfloor_______________________________________________________________________ Walls_________________________________________________________________________ Footings______________________________________________________________ Soil conditions_____________________________________________________________ Leaks in plumbing_______________________________________________________________ Leaks in walls__________________________________________________________________ Evidence of flooding/standing water________________________________________________ Foundation vents________________________________________________________________ Air ducts______________________________________________________________________ Piping________________________________________________________________ Electrical wiring/devices__________________________________________________________ Settling of walls/footings_________________________________________________________ Termites______________________________________________________________________ Mildew/fungus_________________________________________________________________
12. BUYER: ____________________________________________________________________ (Buyer) agrees to buy the following property from the owner (Seller) for the consideration and subject to the following terms, provisions, and conditions: 13. PROPERTY: The property (Property) is known as ______________________________ ______________________________ ________in _________________________County, _________________________ City, _________________________State, and legally described as: ____________________________________________________________ _______________________________________ together with any existing improvements and fixtures attached, such as, but not limited to, electrical and/or gas fixtures, heating and central air-conditioning equipment and all attachments thereto, built-in kitchen equipment, sump pump, water softener, gas grills, central vacuum equipment, window shades/blinds, curtain rods, drapery poles and fixtures, ceiling fans and light fixtures, towel racks and bars, storm doors, windows, awnings, TV antennas, satellite dishes and controls, storage barns, all landscaping, mailbox, garage door opener with control(s) AND THE FOLLOWING: ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ _ All items sold shall be fully paid for by Seller at time of closing the transaction. 14. PRICE: Buyer will pay the total purchase price of $_______________________ for the Property. 15. EARNEST MONEY: Buyer submits $ ______________________ as earnest money which shall be applied to purchase price. The "Seller" shall deposit earnest money into an escrow account at _______________________Title Company, within two (2) banking days of acceptance of this Agreement and Title Company will hold it until time of closing the transaction or termination of this Agreement. If Buyer fails for any reason to submit earnest money, Seller may terminate this Agreement. Earnest money shall be returned promptly in the event this offer is not accepted. If this offer is accepted and Buyer fails or refuses to close the transaction, without legal cause, the earnest money shall be forfeited by Buyer to Seller as liquidated damages, and Seller may pursue any other legal and equitable remedies. The Title Company holding any earnest money is absolved from any responsibility to make payment to the Seller or Buyer unless the parties enter into a Mutual Release or a Court issues an Order for payment. If the parties do not mutually consent to the release of the earnest money, then they agree that the Title Company holding the earnest money may file an interpleader action with a Court regarding disposition of the earnest money and that the payment of the Title Company's resulting costs (including attorneys fees) incurred in connection with such interpleader are a priority claim against the earnest money regardless of the Courts apportionment of the balance of the earnest money. 16. METHOD OF PAYMENT: (Circle appropriate paragraph letter) E. CASH: The entire purchase price shall be paid in cash and no financing is required.
F. NEW MORTGAGE: Completion of this transaction shall be contingent upon the Buyer or the Buyer's assigns, ability to obtain a __ Conventional ____ Insured Conventional ____ FHA ____ VA ____Other ___________________ first mortgage loan for __________ % of purchase price, payable in not less than __________ years, with an original rate of interest not to exceed ________ % per annum and not to exceed __________ points. Buyer shall pay all cost of obtaining financing, except _____________________________________________________ Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement, any inspections and charges which are required to be made and charged to Buyer or Seller by the lender, FHA, VA, mortgage insurer, or closing agent, shall be made and charged in accordance with their prevailing rules or regulations and shall supersede any provisions of this Agreement. C. OTHER METHOD OF PAYMENT: (Attach Financing Addendum) 17. TIME FOR OBTAINING FINANCING: Buyer or Buyer's assigns agrees to make written application for any financing necessary to complete this transaction or for approval to assume the unpaid balance of the existing mortgage within ____ days after the acceptance of this Agreement and to make a diligent effort to meet the lenders requirements and to obtain financing in cooperation with the Broker and Seller. No more than ______________ days after acceptance of the Agreement shall be allowed for obtaining favorable written commitment(s) or mortgage assumption approval. If a commitment or approval is not obtained within the time specified above, this Agreement shall terminate unless an extension of time for this purpose is mutually agreed to in writing. 18. CLOSING: The closing of the sale (the Closing Date) shall be on or before ________________________, or this Agreement shall terminate unless an extension of time is mutually agreed to in writing. If the method of payment for this transaction is cash, assumption or conditional sales contract, the closing fee shall be paid by ___ BUYER ___ SELLER ___ shared equally. 19. POSSESSION: I. The possession of the Property shall be delivered to Buyer ___ at closing ___ within ________days after closing. If Seller does not deliver possession by the date required in the first sentence of this paragraph, Seller shall pay Buyer $ ___________________ per day as liquidated damages until possession is delivered to Buyer; and Buyer shall have all other legal and equitable remedies available against the Seller. J. Maintenance of Property: Seller shall maintain the Property in its present condition until its possession is delivered to Buyer, subject to repairs in response to any inspection. Buyer may inspect the Property prior to closing to determine whether Seller has complied with this paragraph. K. Casualty Loss: Risk of loss by damage or destruction to the Property prior to the closing shall be borne by Seller. In the event any damage or destruction is not fully repaired prior to closing. Buyer, at Buyers option, may either (a) terminate this Agreement or (b) elect to close the transaction, in which event Sellers right to all insurance proceeds resulting from such damage or destruction shall be assigned in writing by Seller to Buyer. L. Utilities/Municipal Services: Seller shall pay for all municipal services and public utility charges through the day of possession. 20. SURVEY: Buyer shall receive a (check ONE) ___ SURVEYOR LOCATION REPORT, which is a survey where corner markers are not set, ___ BOUNDARY SURVEY, which is a survey where corner markers of the Property are set prior to closing; ___ WAIVED, no survey required, at (Check ONE) ___ BUYERS expense; ___ SELLERS expense. The survey shall
(1) be received prior to closing and certified as of a current date; (2) be reasonably satisfactory to Buyer; (3) show the location of all improvements and easements; and (4) show the flood zone designation of the Property. 21. FLOOD AREA/OTHER: Buyer ___ may ___ may not terminate this Agreement if the Property requires flood insurance or Buyer ___ may ___ may not terminate this Agreement if the Property is subject to building or use limitations by reason of the location. 22. INSPECTIONS: BUYER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO HAVE THE PROPERTY INSPECTED (Including Lead-Based Paint) independent of and in addition to any inspections required by FHA, VA, or Buyers lender(s). All inspections are to be at Buyers expense (unless noted otherwise or required by lender) by qualified inspectors or contractors selected by Buyer within the following time periods.
A. INSPECTION/RESPONSE PERIOD: Buyer shall order all INDEPENDENT INSPECTIONS immediately after acceptance of the Purchase Agreement. Buyer shall have _____ calendar days beginning the day following the date of acceptance of the Purchase Agreement to respond to the inspection report(s) in writing to Seller (see Buyers Response) except: (check appropriate paragraph(s) ___ Buyer shall have ____ calendar days to receive and respond in writing to the written lead based paint inspection and/or risk assessment report. ___ Buyer shall have ____ calendar days to receive and respond in writing to the written Radon Report.
Inspections may include but are not limited to the condition of the following systems and components: heating, cooling, electrical, plumbing, roof, walls, ceilings, floors, foundation, basement, crawl space, well/septic, water, wood-eating insects and organisms, lead-based paint (note: intact lead-based paint that is in good condition is not necessarily a hazard), radon tested at lowest livable area either currently finished or unfinished) and/or the following: ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ _________If the Buyer does not comply with Inspection/Response Period or make a written objection to any problem revealed in the report within the Inspection/Response Period, The Property shall be deemed to be acceptable. If the Buyer, in the reasonable discretion, believes that the Inspection Report reveals a MAJOR DEFECT with the Property and the Seller is unable or unwilling to remedy the defect to the Buyers reasonable satisfaction before closing (or at a time otherwise agreed to by the parties), then this Agreement may be terminated by the Buyer or such defect shall be waived by the Buyer and the transaction shall proceed toward closing. BUYER AGREES THAT ANY PROPERTY DEFECT PREVIOUSLY DISCLOSED BY SELLER OR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND MINOR REPAIR ITEMS MENTIONED IN ANY REPORT TOTALLING NO MORE THAN $ ______________ TO REMEDY, SHALL NOT BE A BASIS FOR TERMINATION OF THIS AGREEMENT. 23. TITLE APPROVAL: Prior to closing, Buyer shall be furnished ___ a commitment for title insurance in the amount of purchase price or ___ an abstract of title continued to date showing marketable title to the Property to pay mortgage policy. Any encumbrances or defects in title must be removed and Seller must convey title free and clear of any encumbrances and title defects, with the exception of any mortgage assumed by Buyer and any restrictions and easements of record which will not materially interfere with Buyers intended use of the
Property. Seller shall order the commitment ___ immediately ___ after mortgage approval. Seller agrees to pay the cost of obtaining all other documents necessary to perfect title (including the cost of the deed and vendors affidavit), so that marketable title can be conveyed.
24.TAXES: All taxes assessed for any prior calendar year and remaining unpaid shall be paid by Seller, and all taxes assessed for the current calendar year shall be prorated between Seller and Buyer on a calendar-year basis as of the day immediately prior to the Closing Date. If the tax rate and/or assessment for taxes assessed in the current year have not been determined at the closing of the transaction, the rate and/or assessment shall be assumed to be the same as the prior year for the purpose of such proration and credit for due but unpaid taxes and this shall be a final settlement.
If at the time of closing the tax bill for the Property for the succeeding year has not been issued, taxes payable by either party shall be computed based on the most recent tax rate and/or assessment available to the closing agent. WARNING: The succeeding year tax bill for recently constructed homes or following reassessment periods may greatly exceed the last tax bill available to the closing agent.
25.PRORATIONS AND SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS: Insurance, if assigned to Buyer, interest on any debt assumed or taken subject to, any rents, all other income and ordinary operating expenses of the Property, including but not limited to, public utility charges, shall be prorated as of the day prior to the Closing Date. Seller shall pay any special assessments applicable to the Property for municipal improvements previously made to benefit the Property. Seller warrants that Seller has no knowledge of any planned improvements which may result in assessments and that no governmental or private agency has served notice requiring repairs, alterations or corrections of any existing conditions. Public or municipal improvements which are not completed as of the date above but which will result in a lien or charge shall be paid by Buyer. Buyer will assume and pay all special assessments for municipal improvements completed after the date of this Agreement. 26.TIME: Time is of the essence. Time periods specified in this Agreement and any subsequent Addenda to the Purchase Agreement are calendar days and shall expire at midnight of the date stated unless the parties agree in writing to a different date and/or time. 27.HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION/CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION: Documents for a mandatory membership association shall be delivered by the Seller to Buyer within _____ days after acceptance of this Agreement. If the Buyer does not make a written response to the documents within ______ days after receipt, the documents shall be deemed acceptable. In the event the Buyer does not accept the provisions in the documents and such provisions cannot be waived, this Agreement may be terminated by the Buyer and the earnest money deposit shall be refunded to Buyer promptly. Any approval of sale required by the Association shall be obtained by the Seller, in writing, within ______ days after Buyers approval of the documents. 28.ATTORNEYS FEES: Any party to this Agreement who is the prevailing party in any legal or equitable proceeding against any other party brought under or with relation to the Agreement or transaction shall be additionally entitled to recover court costs and reasonable attorney' fees from the non-prevailing party.
29.MISCELLANEOUS: Q. Unless otherwise provided, any prorations for rent, taxes, insurance, damage deposits, association dues/assessments, or any other items shall be computed through the date of closing. R. Conveyance of this Property shall be by general Warranty Deed, subject to taxes, easements, restrictive covenants and encumbrances of record, unless otherwise agreed. S. Seller represents and warrants that Seller is not a foreign person (individual entity) and, therefore, not subject to the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act. T. Any notice required or permitted to be delivered shall be deemed received when personally delivered, transmitted by facsimile or sent by express courier or United States mail, postage prepaid, certified and return receipt requested, addressed to Seller or Buyer or the designated agent of either party at the address set forth below the signature of the party. U. In case any provision contained in this Agreement is held invalid, illegal, or unenforceable in any respect, the invalidity, illegality, or unenforceability shall not affect any other provision of this Agreement. V. This Agreement constitutes the sole and only agreement of the parties and supersedes any prior understandings or written or oral agreements between the parties respecting the transaction and cannot be changed except by their written consent. W. All rights, duties and obligations of the parties shall survive the passing of title to, or an interest in, the Property. X. Buyer discloses to Seller that Buyer is licensed and holds Real Estate License #_______________________.
30.FURTHER CONDITIONS: ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________ 31.EXPIRATION OF OFFER: Unless accepted by Seller and delivered by Buyer by _________ ____A.M. / P.M. (circle one), the _________ day of ______________, 20______ , this Purchase Agreement shall be null and void and all parties shall be relieved of any and all liability or obligations. 32.CONSULT YOUR ADVISORS: Buyer and Seller acknowledge they have been advised that, prior to signing this document, they may seek the advice of an attorney for the legal or tax consequences of this document and the transaction to which it relates. In any real estate transaction, it is recommended that you consult with a professional, such as a civil engineer, environmental engineer, or other person, with experience in evaluating the condition of the Property..
This Agreement may be executed simultaneously or in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. The parties agree that this Agreement may be transmitted between them by facsimile machine. The parties intend that faxed signatures constitute original signatures and are binding on the parties. The original document shall be promptly delivered, if requested.
________________________________________ _______________________________________ BUYERS SIGNATURE DATE BUYERS SIGNATURE DATE
________________________________________ _______________________________________ BUYERS SOCIAL SECURITY #/FEDERAL I.D. # BUYERS SOCIAL SECURITY #/FEDERAL I.D. #
_____________________________________ ________________________________________ MAILING ADDRESS ZIP CODE MAILING ADDRESS ZIP CODE
_____________________________________ ________________________________________ (Area Code) TELEPHONE NUMBER (Area Code) TELEPHONE NUMBER
___ A. As the Seller(s) of the property described herein, the above terms and conditions are accepted this ____ day of ___________ at ___________ __ A.M. ___ P.M. ___ Noon
______________________________________ _________________________________________ SELLERS SIGNATURE DATE SELLERS SIGNATURE DATE
The undersigned makes the following Counter Offer to the Purchase Agreement Dated ____________________________________ concerning property commonly known as ______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________ in _____________________________________________ Township, __________________________________ County, __________________________________ City, __________________________________State, between: ________________________________ _____________________________________ as Sellers _________________________________ ______________________________________as Buyer(s)
Note: Seller has the right to accept any other offer and Buyer has the right to withdraw any offer prior to written acceptance and delivery of such offer/counter offer.
All other terms and conditions of the Purchase Agreement and all previous Counter Offers shall remain in effect except as modified by this Counter Offer.
This Counter Offer # ___________ is void if not accepted in writing on or before ____________________ ___ A.M. ______P.M. on (date) _______________________________.
This agreement may be executed simultaneously or in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. The parties agree that this Agreement may be transmitted between them by facsimile machine. The parties intend that faxed signatures constitute original signatures and are binding on the parties. The original document shall be promptly executed and/or delivered, if requested.
____________________________________ _________________________________________ SELLERS/BUYERS SIGNATURE DATE SELLERS/BUYERS SIGNATURE DATE
____________________________________ ______________________________________ SELLERS SOCIAL SECURITY #/FEDERAL I.D.SELLERS SOCIAL SECURITY #/FEDERAL I.D.
____________________________________ ______________________________________ MAILING ADDRESS ZIP CODE MAILING ADDRESS ZIP CODE
__________________________________ ________________________________________ (Area Code) TELEPHONE NUMBER (Area Code) TELEPHONE NUMBER
ACCEPTANCE OF COUNTER OFFER # _________
The above Counter Offer # ____________ is accepted at __________________________ ___ A.M. ___ P.M. ___ Noon ___ Midnight __________________________ Receipt of a signed copy of this Counter Offer is acknowledged.
_____________________________________ _______________________________________ SELLER /BUYER SIGNATURE DATE SELLER /BUYER SIGNATURE DATE
Date: __________________________ Property Address: ______________________________________________________________________________ A. Buyer agrees to: (Initial one) 5. ____________ Waive inspection(s) and rely upon the condition of the Property based upon Buyers own examination. 6. ____________ Accept the Property in the condition reported in the Inspection Report(s). 7. ____________ Accept the Property provided Seller corrects the following condition(s): ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________ on or before ____________________________________________ ___ A.M. ___ P.M. _______________________________, or within ___________ days after ______________________ , whichever is later, and the Buyer shall have the right to inspect and accept Sellers repairs ___ prior to closing. 8. __________ Other: _____________________________________________
____ A complete copy ___ Appropriate pages of the Inspection Report is/are attached (including lead-based paint and/or radon, if applicable).
E. If a Response is required, the Seller shall respond on or before ______________________________________________________________. F. After compliance with selected item above, the Buyer releases the Seller named in Purchase Agreement from any and all liability relating to any non-latent or disclosed latent defect or deficiency affecting the Property; provided however, this release shall not apply to any known but undisclosed latent defect(s) or misrepresentations affecting the Property, which shall survive the closing. G. This inspection Response may be executed simultaneously or in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. The parties agree that this Response may be transmitted between them by facsimile machine. The parties intend that faxed signatures constitute original signatures and are binding on the parties. The original document shall be promptly delivered, if requested
____________________________________ _______________________________________ BUYERS SIGNATURE DATE BUYERS SIGNATURE DATE
1. ____________ Seller agrees to correct condition(s) in Item #3 ___ prior to closing the transaction or ___ within _______ days after _______________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 2. ____ Seller is unable or unwilling to make the corrections requested by Buyer. 3. ____ Seller agrees to correct the following condition(s) at Sellers expense ___ prior to closing the transaction or ___ within ________ days after ______________________________________________
D. If Item #3 and/or Item #4 is/are selected, the Buyer shall reply on or before _________________________ ____ A.M. ____ P.M. ____ Noon ____________________________________.
_________________________________ _______________________________________ SELLERS SIGNATURE DATE SELLERS SIGNATURE DATE
BUYERS INSPECTION REPLY # ____________ B. Buyer replies as follows: (Initial one)
3. ___ Buyer accepts Sellers Response. 4. ___ Buyer rejects Sellers Response, deems the Purchase Agreement void and requests that the earnest money be returned.
________________________________ ________________________________________ BUYERS SIGNATURE DATE BUYERS SIGNATURE DATE
Assignment of Real Estate Contract - (Investor Agreement)
This Assignment of Contract ("Assignment") is made on (date)______________, by and between _________________________ ("Assignor"), and ____________________________("Assignee").
Assignor is a party to the "Real Estate Purchase Agreement" dated, ___________________ with (Seller) ____________________________, regarding property located at: __________________ ________________________ in the city of _____________________, in the State of _________. (a copy of which is attached hereto (the "Contract").
Assignor now desires to assign its interest in the Contract to Assignee, which Assignee desires to acquire.
NOW, THEREFORE, for the sum of $ _______________, to be paid by the Assignee to the Assignor and in consideration of the mutual agreements of the parties, it is agreed:
1. Effective Date. Assignment of Assignor's rights in the Contract and other benefits and obligations in this Assignment are effective (date) _______________________.
2. Assignment. Assignor is a party to the Contract. Assignor does hereby grant, bargain, sell, convey, transfer and assign to Assignee all of Assignor's interest in the Contract.
3. Assumption by Assignee. Assignee assumes and agrees to perform all of the duties of Assignor in the Contract, which accrue and become due on or after the effective date. Assignee will indemnify, protect, defend and hold Assignor harmless from and against any and all loss, cost, damage and expense arising out of or in any way related to a breach or default of the Contract after the effective date. Assignor will indemnify, protect, defend and hold Assignee harmless from and against any and all loss, cost, damage and expense arising out of or in any way related to a breach or default of the Contract on or before the effective date.
__________________________________________ Assignor Date
__________________________________________ Assignee Date
__________________________________________ Print
Investor & Home Buyer Qualifying Form
CREDIT HISTORY
Do you have good credit?
Bankruptcy more than 2 years discharged?
Any late payments in last 12 months?
If no established credit, do you have an apartment lease in your name with cancelled checks showing on-time payments?
DOWN PAYMENT
How much money do you have for a down payment?
TIME ON JOB
Do you have 2 years in your current line of work.
If just out of school, are you performing the job for which you trained in school?
If self employed, do you have 2 years of Tax Returns showing consistent or growing income? Average the past 2 years for qualifying income.
INCOME
What is your gross annual income?
Gross?
28% of gross? (front end ratio)
36% of gross? (back end ratio)
Income of the subject property? (this is something you will already know)
75% of the subject property's income (is it enough to cover debt service?)
TYPE OF PROPERTY THEY WANT
What type of income property are you looking for?
Do you want to be put on my investor list to be notified when I find a suitable property?
IF THEY FIT THE PROFILE YOU NEED
Name:
Address:
Phone (wk):
Phone (hm):
Email:
How you found this lead?
Date you added this lead to list?
Quitclaim Deed
This Quitclaim Deed made [Date]__________________, by ___________________ _____________________________ [Seller] ("Transferor") ____________________ _____________________________________________________[Seller's Address] to: ___________________________________________________ [Buyer] ("Transferee") ___________________________________________________ [Buyer's Address]
Transferor, in consideration of One Dollar and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, remises, releases, and forever quitclaims to Transferee all of the interest of Transferor, if any, in an to that real property located in the County of ___________________________________ [Property County], and State of _______________________________ [Property State], and more certainly described as follows: ___________________________________ ____________________________________________ [Legal Description of Property]. To have and to hold, all and singular the described property, together with the tenements, hereditaments, and appurtenances belonging to such property, or in anywise appertaining, and the rents, issues, and profits of such property to Transferee, and Transferee's heirs and assigns forever.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Transferor has executed this Quitclaim Deed on the date first above written. ______________________________________ [Signature] Seller
Acknowledgment
State of ________________ ) ) ss County of ______________ )
On this _________________ [Date], before me personally appeared _________ _________________[Transferor], to me know to be the person described in and who executed the foregoing Quitclaim Deed and acknowledged to me that ________ __________________________[Transferor] executed the same as [His/Her] free act and deed.
______________________________ Notary Public
Tenant Application Please fill out this application completely, sign at the bottom and submit funds for the application fee (which pays for your credit report(s)).
Name (primary applicant):_______________________________
Social Security: __________________________
Name (secondary applicant): ______________________________
Employer (primary): ___________________________ Address: ____________________________________ City, State, Zip: _______________________________
Employer (secondary): _________________________ Address: ____________________________________ City, State, Zip: _______________________________
Gross Annual Income: $ ________________
Monthly Obligations: (not including rent) $ ________________
I hereby submit $ ____ for a credit report and criminal check. I give my permission for Prospective Landlord to have this information accessed by a credit information provider.
______________________________________________ Primary Signature Date
______________________________________________ Secondary Signature Date
LEASE AGREEMENT
This Residential House Lease Agreement ("Lease") is made and effective this __________________ [Date] by and between ________________________ ___________________[Landlord] ("Landlord") and ____________________ ________________________________[Tenant] ("Tenant," whether one or more). This Lease creates joint and several liability in the case of multiple Tenants.
1. PREMISES. Landlord hereby rents to Tenant and Tenant accepts in its present condition the house at following address: ___________________________________________________ _________________________________________(Address of House) (the "House").
2. TERM. The term of this Lease shall start on ____________________[Move-in Date], and end on [Lease End Date]. In the event that Landlord is unable to provide the House on the exact start date, then Landlord shall provide the House as soon as possible, and Tenant's obligation to pay rent shall abate during such period. Tenant shall not be entitled to any other remedy for any delay in providing the House.
3. RENT. Tenant agrees to pay, without demand, to Landlord as rent for the House the sum of _______________________ [Monthly Rental Amount] per month in advance on the first day of each calendar month, at __________________ [Address for Rent Payments], or at such other place as Landlord may designate. Landlord may impose a late payment charge of ______________ [Late Pay Charge] per day for any amount that is more than five (5) days late. Rent will be prorated if the term does not start on the first day of the month or for any other partial month of the term.
4. SECURITY DEPOSIT. Upon execution of this Lease, Tenant deposits with Landlord [Security Deposit Amount], as security for the performance by Tenant of the terms of this Lease to be returned to Tenant, following the full and faithful performance by Tenant of this Lease. In the event of damage to the House caused by Tenant or Tenant's family, agents or visitors, Landlord may use funds from the deposit to repair, but is not limited to this fund and Tenant remains liable.
5. QUIET ENJOYMENT. Landlord agrees that if Tenant timely pays the rent and performs the other obligations in this Lease, Landlord will not interfere with Tenant's peaceful use and enjoyment of the House.
6. USE OF PREMISES. A. The House shall be used and occupied by Tenant exclusively as a private single- family residence. Neither the House nor any part of the House or yard shall be used at any time during the term of this Lease for the purpose of carrying on any business, profession, or trade of any kind, or for any purpose other than as a private single-family residence.
B. Tenant shall comply with all the health and sanitary laws, ordinances, rules, and orders of appropriate governmental authorities and homes associations, if any, with respect to the House.
7. NUMBER OF OCCUPANTS. Tenant agrees that the House shall be occupied by no more than ______ [Total Number of Occupants] persons, including no more than ________ [Maximum Number of Children] under the age of eighteen (18) years, without the prior written consent of Landlord.
8. CONDITION OF PREMISES. A. Tenant agrees that Tenant has examined the House, including the grounds and all buildings and improvements, and that they are, at the time of this Lease, in good order, good repair, safe, clean, and tenantable condition.
B. Landlord and Tenant agree that a copy of the "Joint Inspection," the original of which is maintained by Landlord and a copy provided to Tenant, attached hereto reflects the condition of the House at the commencement of Tenant's occupancy.
[Include Lead Paint Disclosure If Required]
9. ASSIGNMENT AND SUBLETTING. A. Tenant shall not assign this Lease, or sublet or grant any concession or license to use the House or any part of the House without Landlord's prior written consent.
B. Any assignment, subletting, concession, or license without the prior written consent of Landlord, or an assignment or subletting by operation of law, shall be void and, at Landlord's option, terminate this Lease.
10. ALTERATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS. A. Tenant shall make no alterations to the House or construct any building or make other improvements without the prior written consent of Landlord.
B. All alterations, changes, and improvements built, constructed, or placed on or around the House by Tenant, with the exception of fixtures properly removable without damage to the House and movable personal property, shall, unless otherwise provided by written agreement between Landlord and Tenant, be the property of Landlord and remain at the expiration or earlier termination of this Lease.
11. DAMAGE TO PREMISES. If the House, or any part of the House, shall be partially damaged by fire or other casualty not due to Tenant's negligence or willful act, or that of Tenant's family, agent, or visitor, there shall be an abatement of rent corresponding with the time during which, and the extent to which, the House is untenantable. If Landlord shall decide not to rebuild or repair, the term of this Lease shall end and the rent shall be prorated up to the time of the damage.
12. DANGEROUS MATERIALS. Tenant shall not keep or have on or around the House any article or thing of a dangerous, inflammable, or explosive character that might unreasonably increase the danger of fire on or around the House or that might be considered hazardous.
13. UTILITIES. Tenant shall be responsible for arranging and paying for all utility services required on the premises, except Landlord will provide: __________________________ [Services Provided by Landlord]. Tenant shall not default on any obligation to a utility provider for utility services at the House.
14. MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR. A. Tenant will, at Tenant's sole expense, keep and maintain the House and appurtenances in good and sanitary condition and repair during the term of this Lease. In particular, Tenant shall keep the fixtures in the House in good order and repair; keep the furnace clean; and keep the walks free from dirt and debris. Tenant shall, at Tenant's sole expense, make all required repairs to the plumbing, range, oven heating apparatus, electric and gas fixtures, other mechanical devices and systems, floors, ceilings and walls whenever damage to such items shall have resulted from Tenant's misuse, waste, or neglect, or that of the Tenant's family, agent, or visitor.
B. Tenant agrees that no signs shall be placed or painting done on or about the House by Tenant without the prior written consent of Landlord.
C. Tenant agrees to promptly notify Landlord in the event of any damage, defect or destruction of the House, or the failure of any of Landlord's appliances or mechanical systems, and except for repairs or replacements that are the obligation of Tenant pursuant to Subsection A above, Landlord shall use its best efforts to repair or replace such damaged or defective area, appliance or mechanical system.
15. ANIMALS. Tenant shall keep no domestic or other animals in or about the House without the prior written consent of Landlord.
16. RIGHT OF INSPECTION. Landlord and Landlord's agents shall have the right at all reasonable times during the term of this Lease and any renewal of this Lease to enter the House for the purpose of inspecting the premises and/or making any repairs to the premises or other item as required under this Lease.
17. DISPLAY OF SIGNS. During the last thirty (30) days of this Lease, Landlord or Landlord's agent may display "For Sale" or "For Rent" or "Vacancy" or similar signs on or about the House and enter to show the House to prospective purchasers or tenants.
18. HOLDOVER BY TENANT. Should Tenant remain in possession of the House with the consent of Landlord after the expiration of the Term of this Lease, a new tenancy from month to month shall be created which shall be subject to all the terms and conditions of this Lease, but shall be terminable on thirty (30) days by either party or longer notice if required by law. If Tenant holds over without Landlord's consent, Landlord is entitled to double rent, pro- rated per each day of the holdover, lasting until Tenant leaves the House.
19. SURRENDER OF PREMISES. At the expiration of the Lease, Tenant shall quit and surrender the House in as good a condition as it was at the commencement of this Lease, reasonable wear and tear and damages by the elements excepted.
20. FORFEITURE OF SECURITY DEPOSIT - DEFAULT. It is understood and agreed that Tenant shall not attempt to apply or deduct any portion of any security deposit from the last or any month's rent or use or apply any such security deposit at any time in lieu of payment of rent. If Tenant fails to comply, such security deposit shall be forfeited and Landlord may recover the rent due as if any such deposit had not been applied or deducted from the rent due. For the purposes of this paragraph, it shall be conclusively presumed that a Tenant leaving the Premises while owing rent is making an attempted deduction of deposits. Furthermore, any deposit shall be held as a guarantee that Tenant shall perform the obligations of the Lease and shall be forfeited by the Tenant should Tenant breach any of the terms and conditions of this Lease. In the event of default, by Tenant, of any obligation in this Lease which is not cured by Tenant within fifteen (15) days notice from Landlord, then in addition to forfeiture of the Security Deposit, Landlord may pursue any other remedy available at law, equity or otherwise.
21. ABANDONMENT. If at any time during the term of this Lease, Tenant abandons the House or any of Tenant's personal property in or about the House, Landlord shall have the following rights: Landlord may, at Landlord's option, enter the House by any means without liability to Tenant for damages and may relet the House, for the whole or any part of the then unexpired term, and may receive and collect all rent payable by virtue of such reletting; Also, at Landlord's option, Landlord may hold Tenant liable for any difference between the rent that would have been payable under this Lease during the balance of the unexpired term, if this Lease had continued in force, and the net rent for such period realized by Landlord by means of such reletting. Landlord may also dispose of any of Tenant's abandoned personal property as Landlord deems appropriate, without liability to Tenant. Landlord is entitled to presume that Tenant has abandoned the House if Tenant removes substantially all of Tenant's furnishings from the House, if the
House is unoccupied for a period of two (2) consecutive weeks, or if it would otherwise be reasonable for Landlord to presume under the circumstances that the Tenant has abandoned the House.
22. SECURITY. Tenant acknowledges that Landlord does not provide a security alarm system or any security for the House or for Tenant and that any such alarm system or security service, if provided, is not represented or warranted to be complete in all respects or to protect Tenant from all harm. Tenant hereby releases Landlord from any loss, suit, claim, charge, damage or injury resulting from lack of security or failure of security.
23. SEVERABILITY. If any part or parts of this Lease shall be held unenforceable for any reason, the remainder of this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect.
24. INSURANCE. Tenant acknowledges that Landlord will not provide insurance coverage for Tenant's property, nor shall Landlord be responsible for any loss of Tenant's property, whether by theft, fire, acts of God, or otherwise.
25. BINDING EFFECT. The covenants and conditions contained in the Lease shall apply to and bind the heirs, legal representatives, and permitted assigns of the parties.
26. GOVERNING LAW. It is agreed that this Lease shall be governed by, construed, and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of ____________________________.
27. ENTIRE AGREEMENT. This Lease shall constitute the entire agreement between the parties. Any prior understanding or representation of any kind preceding the date of this Lease is hereby superseded. This Lease may be modified only by a writing signed by both Landlord and Tenant.
28. NOTICES. Any notice required or otherwise given pursuant to this Lease shall be in writing; hand delivered, mailed certified return receipt requested, postage prepaid, or delivered by overnight delivery service, if to Tenant, at the House and if to Landlord, at the address for payment of rent.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Lease to be executed the day and year first above written.
______________________________________________ Tenant Signature Date
______________________________________________ Tenant Signature Date
______________________________________________ Landlord Signature Date
OPTION TO PURCHASE PROPERTY
Date:____________
This option to Purchase Property is entered into between____________________________________________ _______________________________________________________(Seller), located at __________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________and _________________________________________________________________________________(Buyer), located at _________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________ in consideration of and subject to the following terms and conditions.
1. GRAT OF OPTIO Seller grants and conveys to Buyer the exclusive and irrevocable option to purchase (the Option) the following real estate property (the Property) located in __________________________________City _____________________________________, State, and is legally described as: _____________________
2. OPTIO MOEY Buyer pays Seller the sum of _______________________________________________________________ Dollars ($____________________________) (the Option Money), the receipt of which Seller acknowledges as consideration for the Option.
3. TERM, EXERCISE/OTICE C. TERM. Buyers right to exercise this Option shall commence on the above date and shall continue until ________________________________________________________________and including the _____________________________ day of __________________________________ (the Option Period).
D. EXERCISE/NOTICE. This option shall be exercised by Buyers written notice to Seller of Buyers intention to purchase. The notice shall be deemed received when personally delivered, transmitted by facsimile, sent by express courier or sent by United States mail, postage prepaid, certified and return receipt requested, addressed to Seller or the designated agent of Seller, as the case may be, at the address set forth in this Option of any party prior to the expiration of the Option Period.
4. CLOSIG AD DISPOSITIO OF OPTIO MOEY If Buyer exercises this Option as described above, the transaction shall be closed in accordance with the terms and conditions of the attached Purchase Agreement. A. The Option Money shall be credited to the purchase price. E. If the Option is not exercised, then Seller shall retain the Option Money as consideration for the granting of this Option.
5. TERMS BIDIG All terms and conditions are included and no verbal agreements shall be binding.
6. ACKOWLEDGEMETS This Option may be executed simultaneously or in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. The parties agree that this document may be transmitted between them by facsimile machine. The parties intend that faxed signatures constitute original signatures and are binding on the parties. The original document shall be promptly executed and/or delivered, if requested.
___________________________________________ _______________________________________ BUYERS SIGNATURE DATE BUYERS SIGNATURE DATE
___________________________________________ _______________________________________ BUYERS SOCIAL SECURITY #/FEDERAL ID # BUYERS SOCIAL SECURITY #/FEDERAL ID #
___________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ SELLERS SIGNATURE DATE SELLERS SIGNATURE DATE
___________________________________________ _______________________________________ SELLERS SOCIAL SECURITY #/FEDERAL ID # SELLERS SOCIAL SECURITY #/FEDERAL ID #