BANDITS If you AREN'T using them and aren't moving, that's your problem!

Hello,

I got a call from one of my signs from a woman who is hoping someone can buy the house she rents, because her landlord lost it to the bank.
I looked up the bank that owns it but its not listed yet. It could be shadow inventory right now. I know the ideal is to catch the house before it's bank owned, but what can I do now?

Thanks,
Karemah

You can call the bank and ask to talk to an REO asset manager. Tell him you are interested in the property. More than likely he will refer you to the listing agent the lender is going to use to list and sell the property. This agent MAY give you the opportunity to make an offer before it is listed. 9 times out of 10 you will just have to wait until it is listed. At that point the tenant will have been evicted.

Michael Mangham
MD Home Acquisitions LLC

Thank You so much Michael, I'll keep folks posted on how this goes.

Karemah

Wow Keith, that was brazen for him to follow you home; can you say stalking!

Great to see you have signs out there and they are working!! Nice! One question on your post regarding the tenant who called you because her landlord lost the house. Have you talked to the landlord? I wondered if it is already in foreclosure, is the NOD served, etc. I've stopped a foreclosure after NOD served and then did a short sale. Just wondering if it is actually gone or if Tenant doens't have all the info AND landlord may not know all the ins and outs of the process. Otherwise, Michael is right on, you'll have to contact the asset manager-persistently. also, how long ago did the landlord "lose" the house? does the landlord have any other properties for sale?

Don't be discouraged!...for those out there without the money to buy bandit signs right now-no matter how cheap! ... try printing flyers and going door to door in your neighborhood...or if that is not available to you... just pick up the phone and start calling "For Rent" signs. Ask if they'd be interested in selling the property or another they may own. That call is FREE! And you'll get some practice and keep those REI juices flowing.

There are other ways to get the job done and you will feel sooo much better by taking action - some action! (I speak to myself when I write this!!)

Thanks again Jen and all for the great encouragement and 1-2-3 steps for getting those signs out there too!!

Thank Jill! Dead on! My whole point to this thread is to HELP encourage those to take action!

Knowledge gives you the How, Action gets you the Results!

Learn, Act, Learn, Act, Learn Act......Rinse and Repeat! lol

Build a foundation, But start running and scoop up the knowledge as you go!

Start WHERE EVER you are, with WHAT EVER you have!

Great add Jill!

Blessings,
Jen

Since I am concentrating on L/Os, I had never really considered using Bandit Signs. I am doing mass mail outs but that gets expensive.

I have decided to step it up and add a new dimension-bandit signs. Just placed my first order and am working on creative wording.

Thank you so much for your help! You are so awesome! Cannot wait for the cruise and a whole week of sharing ideas. (I will need to bring a case of legal notepads to take notes!)

Karen

Karen,

My pleasure!
Awesome! Keep me posted on progress! Can't wait to hear all the details!

I know, I am excited about the cruise too. Going to be tons of fun!

Blessings,
Jen

Here is a video I posted on another thread which is very helpful. It shows how to make a simple kit to post your signs up HIGH so the sign police can't remove them as easily.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahFHyUzioQo&feature=related

also I purchased a folding step ladder at Lowes for around $19. It folds flat and easily stored in my trunk. That's Trent's (my sons) job to get the ladder in and out of the trunk and hold for me for the ones I put on poles. lol It's only three rungs plus I'm 5'11" so not your average Joe can reach and pull them down.
ALSO a tailgate on the back of a truck works too! (ask me how I know this - LOL). aka cost saver method! LOL

Great info Karen! Appreciate you!
Jen

At least I got a call from an Apprentice (aka Birddog) today. She is real enthusiastic and is already driving and looking for properties in our area. I've agreed to pass along the knowledge I'm paying for via DG and other sources at no cost except help in areas that I don't have time for plus finders fee if any leads result in deals.

So at least that is one good thing to come from this second round of signs.

Thank you Jen for explaining why you go to closings. Sincerly, Tammy

Hello everyone,

For those contemplating putting signs out, don't think...just do. It works. We are advised to put out only 25 signs to start. I decided to start big with the yellow corrugated hand written signs they told us to use. Whether you use them is up to you, but may affect effectiveness of signs if you do something else. You can only try what is in your financial abilities.

I put out a total batch of 75 signs, middle of the night this past Friday, and they were broken into 3 groups of 25 for different parts of town. I numbered each sign for group#/sign# as such 1/17 at the bottom right-hand corner for tracking purposes. Then I logged into my Google account and created 3 maps, one for each sign group, placing those upside-down teardrop pendants at each location I place a sign (even if there is more than one sign at the same location). Name each sign location with the group#/sign# first, then the intersection...like this:

1/17 Indiana & Calvert

...omitting any blvd, rd, st, etc so it's less cluttered. Save your maps and print each one. The purpose behind this labeling on the maps and signs, is so when you pull the signs you can track which are missing from what intersection when you get home. It isn't advisable to take time and write each new sign location and such on a piece of paper as you go, or even write down what signs are missing and from what location as you pick them up. Plan your route out on a map, and where your signs will go beforehand. Look at what its missing when you get home. Not all places I put signs in are friendly territory, especially after the sun goes down. So you want to spend no time sitting. Just drop your sign and keep moving.

It took me 3 hours to handwrite 75 signs front and back, 2 hours planning time since I was also looking at each location with the street view on Google maps to see what the future sign locations looked like, and 3+ hours to drop the signs in 3 different parts of town. It's advisable to have your sign holders already inserted into your signs so you can just grab them and push them in the ground. Otherwise you are fumbling around trying to get the signs in the holes possibly in neighborhoods you don't want to just be standing around, depending on time of day/night.

The planning sounds like a lot of extra work, because it is, but saves time during your sign runs and helps you to keep better track of what signs you have left. Just remember to make sure the 1/17 group/sign number matches the intersection you are supposed to drop the sign at.

If you have another method that works good for you, use it, but still plan in advance so you aren't stopped for any period of time. Think safety first.

Out of the calls I received so far, here is what I have:

1 prank call
9 hang-ups (call them back - caller id)
3 contractors looking for work
3 investors - 2 offloading, 1 buying
34 sellers

BTW, I am leaving my signs out and taking my chances with the city. I am aware of what can happen, but currently the benefits far outweigh the risks. If they ask me to pull them, I will do so and resort to weekend runs only. So far no calls or angry people. Just a lot of desperate people.

Keith, sorry about your new found friend. If someone did that to me, they will be driving for about 30min...long enough for me to notice them following.

Take care everyone. Good luck, and looking forward to seeing what methods you may be using. My method works for me. May not for others. Maybe learn from each other here to find one that works for everyone. Input from those already hitting the streets?

Thanks,

Jason

I hope you don't mind, I "shared" it on Facebook

Esteeana, how did your garage sale turn out?

Hey Jill! Good to see you on.

I can call the landlord and see if it is actually owned by the bank yet. Thanks for the suggestion. The landlord seems to be pretty much in touch with the landlord and has even said that she warned her to try to contact someone who could help, but she wouldn't try until it was too late. I'll dig deeper.

I'll keep you all posted on the progress.

Thanks

smurfy wrote:

I hope you don't mind, I "shared" it on Facebook

No don't mind at all. Share away!

Heck anything I DON'T want known/shared (or it's P&C) I want put on the internet. LOL

Make it an amazing day!
Blessings,
Jen

Okay, I knew that a couple of my signs had been snatched, but my husband (who put most of them up) informed me last night that most of them are gone. I had about 18 up and it seems that maybe only 3-6 remain. No wonder I'm barely getting any calls.

I've only gotten a total of about 6 calls, 3 from rehabbers looking to get business and 2 from people who already went into foreclosure, and 1 from a person who wanted to keep the house not sell it.

This is a great marketing technique I know it, but people here are very territorial and competitive. There are many signs up here, but someone seems to be Hell's bent on sabotaging my marketing plan!

I love the signs and I dont' want to quit, but the signs are expensive and it is a time consuming procedure. Ofcourse it's well worth the time and money if they are going to stay put.

Please help me out! Any ideas on how to keep them in place would be appreciated greatly. Maybe some of you have had this problem before and found a way to over come it. Any help would be totally appreciated.

Thanks,
Karemah

Jason, That was a great way to track your signs! I am also pming you; saw on the schedule you sent me that your are busy until Wednesday of this week. Talk to you soon. Tammy

My garage sale - well it must be a sign of the times. Not one sale and I spent the whole day working in the garage organizing. It seems no one is spending and holding on to what ever money they have. Its discouraging and depressing.

Not at all that you are entitled, because obviously you're not, but you've got to believe in yourself when the chips are down. At the end of the day, no matter who does or does not support you, you're on your own.

RE is not easy by any means. But it can be easier if you have a plan. Jumping in head first is the same as jumping in an empty pool; you're going to get seriously hurt and that includes your interactions with realtors. Contrary to what you believe or heard, most realtors have some understanding of deans and others' methods; the main issue is the majority of the people who practice it have no idea what they are doing and it becomes a time waster.

And if its one thing any RE professional cares most about other than money,.....is time. I would keep learning and you'll eventually find an agent who'll want to deal with you; it might be awhile, but I believe it will happen.

In terms of your personal struggles, hold your head up and keep up the good fight. You have no other choice.

Good luck to you

Jen, Can you tell me what you do for stakes? Do you order them in bulk, or go to home depot, or something like that. I want a quick and easy, yet affordable way to get the signs and stakes. Thanks,

I order both the signs and stakes. 18x24 signs and 10x30 (i believe size of) metal stakes. Yes, i have been ordering the both at the same time. quantities of 50 each.

but you can make just about anything work.

some have used the wooden ones. but then you have to have fasten it somehow to the sign itself. guessing you could uses a heavy duty/wood stapler.

I am sure there are tons of cost effect ways. (someone mentioned the rolled wire somewhere throughout this thread). I look for the easiest/best way possible to leverage my time. For me it is worth the few buck to order the stakes because it saves me 2 hours (or whatever amount) of time fastening signs to stakes. lol I'm at the point now, I'm looking for a couple guys I can pay to put the signs out for me, therefore saving myself MORE time.

start where you are, with what means you have and do whatever you have to to get them in the ground. LOL. doesn't matter how pretty or ugly. so metal stakes, wooden stakes, lolley pop sticks, doesn't matter. they will work!

Way to take action! Proud of you for making it happen!

Many blessing!
Jen

Oh Thank you Jen, I forgot to ask it, but you answered my other question of what size stake. That is when I hit the wall in my order today. What size without seeing it. You've come through again. Thank you Jen!!

I definitely get more calls. My website listed on the bandit sign is a squeeze page to capture contact info. So say I log 10-15 calls I may have 4-5 email notifications of leads generated on average. Sometimes higher, sometimes lower ratio.

Hi, Jennifer, could you tell me how did you set up your squeeze page and for how much? I'd like to capture sellers contact info as well.

Thank you so much

Dennis

Hey Dennis,

I took advantage to the SFL program Dean offered last year. It's an awesome tool. I am not sure if they still have the exact plan available Dean offered to his students. I'd contact help desk to confirm first through DG. But if not Greg Clements still has OpenRoads 3X or whatever he's calling it these days. lol
I'd probably start with googling "sqeeze page" or something of that nature and see what kicks up. I have the SFL system, 2 sqeeze pages, and website, lead pipes (for 2 counties) and all the bells and whistes the program offers and it hits my account monthly for $74. Right now I have it all through them, but will be adding a website through a different company for my CRE. Only because the creativity/items to implement into the wesite is limited through what I currently have and I'm taking the CRE deeper.

Hope this helps,
Jen

Your remarks directed at me are very unkind and you know nothing about me really. I don't know what the entitlement is all about. I work hard for everything I get. I am offended by your remarks and I felt no support from you as a member of the family. It was more like kicking someone when they are down. Ordinarily I would not respond to something like this but this time I have to tell you that I think you are way off base.

ESteeanna, I think Elix was trying to give you words of advice. It seems that he was wishing you well, but telling the truth that life can be tough. I would take what he says as just words of wisdom. I think he was being supportive, but just maybe not in the manner that you are accustomed to. Don't be down about it!

Thanks. I really do appreciate the support. I am out of my comfort zone and doing new things but I have a multitude of other things that are up side down right now and it is a lot to deal with. Ever since I was little I have had to handle everything on my own and more than a person should have to do. Its ok though because it always made me stronger. Its footprints in the sand time. Thanks again.

The entitlement comment was that others may feel that, but you're in that situation, and that while you may be down now, you'll come out of this through hard work.

In no way did I intend to offend and if you read again, I think you may see that i had nothing but your best intentions.

Most people who want to be offensive don't say 'keep your head up'.

Again I apologize if you took my words out of context.