The economy cannot stop what I have to share no matter if it goes up or down.

With that said, I’m always open to helping anyone I can
move forward in this business, so I’d like to take the time
to answer some questions that came in through the
Ask-JL Question Box.

Here is the first question:

1) Hey Lamar, I’ve been running into a lot of owners that have
listed their homes with MLS. How can I avoid this??

-Lou

Hey Lou,

I’m assuming you’re using a strategy that doesn’t require you to work with a realtor, given the fact that your trying to avoid homes on the MLS. If that is the case, then allow me answer your question and give you some tips on how to avoid these type of homes, so you can focus on whatever strategy your using.

Targeted Marketing
You have to hone in on who your customer is and either attract them  to you with your marketing or find where they are and put your message  in front of them. Your marketing needs to be specific and direct with a  message that resonates with who you are going after.

Avoiding owners who list their homes on the MLS can be a challenge  because one day they could be an FSBO (For Sale By Owner), the next day they could be listed on the MLS.

Being Specific in your Qualification Process
With that said, it also comes down to your qualification process.  What I mean by that is, when people see your ads…are they able to qualify/disqualify themselves? If you’re getting an overwhelming amount  of sellers who have listed their home on the MLS, then when you advertise, you could say something like:

• “We Buy Homes that are For Sale By Owner”
• “We Buy FSBOs”
• “We Buy For Sale By Owner Homes”
• “If your home is listed on the MLS, then we are not interested in buying it at this time”

This approach may not be 100% perfect as far as helping you avoid all home owners who list their homes on the MLS,  however it shoulD significantly decrease the amount.  I say should because this is only in theory.

Personally, I have not tested this as I don’t get an overwhelming amount of homes on the MLS.  If they’re listed and the strategy I’m using doesn’t cater to that group, then I tell them that I can’t help them and move onto the next. They do not qualify for my business model.

The key words you should take away from this are:
Targeted Marketing, being specific, and qualifying or
disqualifying your sellers directly or indirectly

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2) Hello J L., I have been reading all the books and trying for months.
My problem is I don’t have the money or credit. I would like
to find the houses and flip them to an investor.

What I don’t understand is how to get all the comps and other
things done in order to present them to an investor so they can be approved. -Orson

Hi Orson,

http://jlamarferren.com/729/top-5-creative-real-estate-investing-strategies-in-this-economy

They all require little to no money and no credit, depending on how you position yourself.