My first bandit signs :)

what did you put on your signs & did you have them printed or did you use a sharpie

Matt B

The greatist glory in living lies not in never falling but in rising every time we fall!

NELSON MANDELLA

Hi Matt,

The wife and I bought white boards from Wal-Mart and bought yellow bright paint and painted them. We used a sharpie to write our advertisement. The advertisement says:

Must Sell Home!
Great Neighborhood
Owner Desperate
(XXX) XXX-XXXX

Hope this helps bud. I'll keep posting to see if this worked or not...I have a feeling it will

--Joe

What bandit sign questions do you have? I can help you out.

Im going to the 3 day workshop next weekend cant wait.
I have located 30 cash buyers through my realtor,next I need to send out letters to them & explain how I can help them.When I found them @ the assessors sight I cross referenced the name & told how many properties they own.I am going out to get sign material today,just needed an idea what to put on them I know they say keep it simple.

Thanks DGers Matt B

"The greatist glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall"
NELSON MANDELLA

I think you will get calls for that sign!

Bandit signs do work! I place them at intersections that lead morning traffic to the downtown area. I know I've received calls as the traffic is sitting waiting for the light to change! I also place them on the route home from Downtown. I get them printed at ::: http://bit.ly/zTdDn9 ::: They have great service and great prices. I keep them simple and quick and easy to read ""I buy houses in 30 days or less""- and my cell number. Easy to read at a red light or at 40 m.p.h. Hope this helps! ~Bob

Hhaha...well, here in Wichita it gets very windy sometimes. I learned that simply placing them on the thin metal stakes that I bought at Lowes isn't going to withstand these winds. I checked on them this morning, and all but 1 were still on. I did manage to recover all my materials, sings and stakes

I am thinking of using wire or string to keep them attached to the stakes now, and possibly placing them as low as I can in the ground, then probably bending them oh so slightly for a good view....I am doing this tonight.

Thanks BobDproperties and stopping by for pointers. Famailceo, thanks for the motivation! Lane McCaw...I think matt b is going to be doing great once these signs are up and running.

Deadline...tonight for part 2 in sign posting. I'll keep my recordings coming in this journal. Excited!!!

--JoeCardenas

I just got back from Dollar General and bought string for my signs. I am going to get these signs up with string tied to the stakes and will start putting them up--tonight!

Should be

18" x 24"

Bright yellow

"I BUY HOUSES"

"ANY CONDITION"

###-###-####

Placed in busy intersections.i

Thanks Lane!

I am about to place them out there. I told myself that I wasn't going to go one day more without me placing these out there. I know it is late, but oh well. It is a small price I am paying in starting this business. Cheers!

Okay, so I ended up placing bandit signs last night after I tied the signs with string from the Dollar General store. It was probably close to midnight. I placed 7 in busy intersections. Well, it is 1136 a.m. and so far I have received 3 calls.

I admit though, I haven't picked up, because I am hoping that they leave a message in my Google Voice voicemail. They haven't though...Should I start picking up the phone now??? I admit, I am a bit scared of not knowing what to say. Heeellpp.

--Joe

Hey have you read Profit From Real Estate Right Now, definitely worth the read?

Basically when talking to your potential motivated seller, just try to build rapport. You want him to feel like you're helping him out, he wants to sell his house and you're helping him do just that.
Here are a few key points, straight from the book:

- Tell me a little about your home (how many beds, bathrooms, etc?)
- Do you know how many square ft? Total on the main floor or do you have an upstairs and/or basement?
- What do you think is the best feature of your house?
- What are the worst?
- Is this house single level or is there upstairs or basement?
- How old is the house?
- Do you know the what the annual real estate taxes are?
- Do you know the names of surrounding schools?
- On scale of 1-10, how would you rate the neighborhood?
- Sounds like you have a nice home, may I ask why you are selling?
- How long has the home been for sale?
- How many offers have you had? Do you mind telling me what the offers were?
- How did you come to the sales price?
- Are you FLEXIBLE?
- *** If I bring you an all-cash offer, what is the lowest price you would be willing to accept? (The answer to this is very important as it gets you closer to understanding what the seller's bottom line is)

Straight from PFRERN PGS 127-128

Gabriel,

Thanks for the information, I appreciate it. This is a great way of knowing how to acquire criteria from a bandit sign that says the following:

"I BUY HOUSES"
"ANY CONDITION"
###-###-####

But what about a sign that says this. I placed bandit signs looking like this:

Must Sell Home!
Great Neighborhood
Owner Desperate
(XXX) XXX-XXXX

I am receiving the calls, now I just have to retrieve the buyer's criteria to build my buyers list and be a step closer in closing a deal.

Joe,

The signs you put up were to find local cash investors, right? You're trying to build your buyer's list? Just answer the phone and let these people know you're "for real" because many of them will not leave a message.

We are very active wholesalers here in Rochester, NY and we know when someone is a "newbie" working on building their list! The first sign is that they give us a number then don't answer (probably for the same reason you are not answering) the second is they only send us emails with no phone number (when you are dealing with an active investor, we tolerate emails to a point, but if you are someone that takes action, then we pick up the phone to speak with you because if you have a good deal, we want it NOW)or they get our message and take a week to call back.

Don't worry about not knowing what to say. Be honest if you are just starting out and tell the investor who calls that you are currently out of inventory but that you come across new deals on a weekly basis and then ask them what type of investment properties they look for. Once you have that, tell them as soon as a property with their parameters comes across your path, they will be the first one you call. Make sure to get not only their cell phone, but get their email as well so you can send them your contact information too. If you have an internet presence (website, FanPage, LinkedIn) send them that because it adds validity to the fact that you are doing this as a business and not just a hobby.

I always am concerned when we are approached to do business with someone and they don't even have a website or facebook profile. I wonder how serious is that person?

You're on the right track and you're on your way! Go Get 'Em!!!!!

Keep us posted!
Pam & Joe

with a realtor yet,I found 30 cash buyers from my agent.If you ask for cash solds make it from 2011.I found out the assessors office takes their time in recording the transactions.Once you get the name & address of the buyer cross-reference their name & that will tell you how many houses they own.Im printing my introduction letters that I will be mailing out tomarrow.My computer is running a little slow or they would be mailed today.

Matt B

"the greatest glory in living lies not in never falling but in rising every time we fall"

NELSON MANDELLA

Hi Pam & Joe,

Thanks for telling it straight. I appreciate that. You are absolutely right. I need to get on the phone and get those buyers to get this started. I will not let another phone call pass by, because like you mentioned they want fast, productive results and not for them to leave any messages.

Thank you for the advice as far as what to say to these folks. I will send them my business facebook presence. I am in the process of acquiring somebody to do a website for the JFC Cashflow LLC business. Thanks Joe, because I would love to be the type of investor to work actively and not be in the sidelines like the "newbies" you described and experienced in Rochester, NY.

Thanks again for your words of wisdom!

--Joe

So the wife and I were talking about the wisdom and advice we have received from this site. We were grateful because of it. Then we started thinking that the advertisement in my bandit signs does not have to be a ghost ad.

We came up with the idea, that we are able to advertise our own house this way so that it could be in a lease option contract. The reason is because I am in the military and I presume that I will be getting orders to move somewhere else within the year. Rather than deal with the headache of trying to find somebody to lease option our house then, we though we should just try to get it under a lease option now and move to another apartment/townhouse/house in a rental agreement with a military clause attached to it.

In general, we can advertise our house and find cash buyers at the same time.

I also made a buyers worksheet to help me say what I do want to say over the phone and take notes on.

Happy Investing!

Hey I'm glad you're taking action. I also am working on building a worksheet where I can just talk to the buyer and look at the worksheet, which will list all questions I have to ask.
Later on today, I plan on calling a few RE offices and seeing if I can get an agent to work with me and send me a list of some recently sold houses bought in cash. With that list I'll call the buyers and hopefully find some eager investors who will be glad to have their name on my Buyer's list.

Good luck,
Gabriel Do Carmo

Hi Gabriel,

Thanks! Yes, you know I have the worksheet handy all the time now because you never know if that one caller is your number 1 buyer.

Gabriel your strategy sounds good. Let us know how that goes! Best of luck, and lets not stop taking action...even if it is "small" progress!

Best of luck friend

Glad to hear that you got your signs out. Some areas it works quick and easy other areas its a slow steady stream of contacts over a period of time. But, it does work. Great to hear your are moving forward!

Just like Lane said...

Write on your signs:

We Buy Houses
Any Condition
###-###-####

You will get sellers as well as buyers interested in taking properties off your hands.

Even if you don't have cash buyers you can always list a great deal on CL and other sites after you've locked it up.

Keep it going!

Hi Mark,

I did not write that. I wrote the following:

Must Sell Home!
Great Neighborhood
Owner Desperate
(XXX) XXX-XXXX

...and I have had interested calls. I have been confusing and scaring my potential buyers. The confusion was probably when I started to advertise my own home. The problem was that I don't have all the numbers worked out to lease option it...but that is exactly what I want to do to that house due to myself having to leave Wichita within the year because of being in the military and I am due for me to leave.

The wife and I thought, hey I want to lease option my house out, this would be a perfect way of doing it and at the same time not have my bandit signs be like "ghost" ads.

Therefore, I decided to just stick with the "wholesaling" part of the business and deal with my own house later until I get comfortable in the price option I want to set (among other details).

So in general I have been getting calls but I am probably confusing them when I say that I do have a house for sale, but it is going to be sold as a lease purchase...and then I transition to "also I work with real estate investors in my area and happen to come across many houses each week, what is the criteria you are looking for?"

Do you guys have any thoughts on my tactics? I am refining my tactics...I know...advice would be greatly appreciated!

--Joe

Ok, now I can't find a title company that does not do double closings. This is what my real estate agent is telling me. What she has told me is that Kansas allows you to do that but the title company that she deals with says I need to own the house for at least 72 hours before I can 'transfer it' to the buyer. I know I am missing information here, but I don't know what exactly yet. I need to research this a bit more.

My agent also mentioned that it is not impossible, but that there is a difference between full disclore and partial disclosure when it comes to contracts. Ideas? Advice?

--Joe

I would contact Michael Mangham for the answer to your double close question.

He has done many of them.

http://www.deangraziosi.com/users/michaelmangham

Ask your attorney what the laws are.

An agent told me doing assignments is illegal, that's why he's not on my team.

Thanks all for sharing your info with us. I'm learning from you'all, it's reducing my reluctance to post the Signs. thanks again..

If you get a 4x8ft (48"x96") sheet for $14.50, that's $0.453 a sqft

So a 24"x18" sign is 3 sqft. (2ftx1.5ft) 3x$0.453 a sqft is $1.359, which is actually more than what some ppl have reported in paying for their signs.

If my math is incorrect please point it out.

Thanks!