Seller Financing Opportunities

Since the mortgage meltdown sellers have decided to take matters into their own hands.  Everytime I look on the MLS I see more owner financing properties on the market.  The basic premise of the industry is that people will always need to buy and sell real estate.  But, as a buyer one must remember the old saying, "Buyers Beware", still holds true.

Remember, take caution purchasing from sellers when using less than orthodox, traditional lending methods.  Don't be vamboozled.  When purchasing from a seller one should insure any existing liens or emcuberances are either satisfied or agreeable with one's transaction.  Don't cut corners, trust in chance, or assume that all participants to the transaction have your best interest at heart.  I hear so many horror stories where trusting buyers have been swindled out of thousands of dollars attempting to purchase homes from less than honest individuals.

A few things that I would question in seller financing transactions are:

1. Who owns the home?  Are all parties represented and/or aware of the proposed transaction?
2. Is the home free and clear?  If not, non-approval assumptions were done away with by Pres. Reagan.
3. Are you being represented by a realtor or attorney?  Why or Why not?
4. Is the closing taking place at a title company? Why or Why not?
5. Are the terms of lending commensurate with available loan programs?

These are just of fewof the many questions I would ask.  There's also the value and condition of the home itself.  Currently, there's alot of great 'Owner Financing', real estate deals on the market.  Make sure to exercise due diligence and seek the advice of skilled professionals.

"Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established." Proverbs 15:22

For a List of Owner Financed Homes in the Houston, Texas Area CLICK HERE!

Real Estate High Road!

Top 15 Ways to Build Your Subscriber List
Email marketing can be profitable for any business, no matter what kind of product or service you offer. It is significantly cheaper than other advertising methods and, if done right, helps build loyalty and trust with customers. As a result, you generate more sales and more profits!

The foundation for successful email marketing is a targeted, permission-based email list. Marketers call contact lists their 'goldmine' because it can generate much of their sales revenue. If you've built up a list of opt-in subscribers that are qualified and interested in what you have to offer, then you've completed the first step and are on your way. Now it's time to 'mine' for gold!

Below you'll find several list-building and retention ideas that will help you get the best results from all your email marketing activities:

Provide useful, relevant content. Your visitors will not give you their email addresses just because they can subscribe to your newsletter free of charge. You have to provide unique and valuable information that will be of interest or use to them.

Add a subscription form to every page on your website. Make sure it stands out so it is easy to find. If it doesn't look cluttered, you may want to include more than one on some pages. For instance, if your opt-in form always appears in the top-left corner of your site, you may want to add one at the end of your most popular articles.

Add subscription forms to your social media pages. Make sure that you don't waste this valuable source of revenue opportunities. Integrate your sign-up forms with Facebook and more!

Make it easy for readers to sign up. The more information you request, the fewer people will opt-in. In most cases, a name and an email address should suffice. If it's not necessary, don't include it here. You can always survey them once they're customers! We do recommend that you provide a link to your Privacy Policy however.

Publish a Privacy Policy. Let your readers know that they can be confident you will not share their information with others. The easiest way to do this is to set up a Privacy Policy web page and provide the link to it below your opt-in form. (Note: If you don't have one, put the words 'privacy policy generator' into a search engine and you should be able to find a suitable form to use.)

Provide samples of your newsletters and Ezines. This lets potential subscribers review your materials before they sign up to determine if it's something they'd be interested in.

Archive past newsletters and articles. An online library of past newsletters and articles is both appealing and useful to visitors and builds your credibility as an authority. In addition, if your articles are written with good SEO techniques in mind, they can increase traffic to your website through enhanced search engine positioning.

Give gifts subscribers can actually use. Offer an opt-in bonus for joining your subscriber list! Write an ebook or provide a PDF business report, or even hire a programmer to create downloadable or web-based software. But don't limit yourself to offering gifts to opt-ins. Give them out when your readers fill out a survey, provide a testimonial, success story, or a great product idea. Let them know when they can expect the next gift offer. Everyone likes to get something for free! And if you pass out 'goodies' throughout the year, your subscribers will feel truly appreciated − and that's good for business!

Ask your subscribers to pass it on. Word of mouth is a powerful viral technique that works great with email marketing. If your subscribers find your content interesting, amusing or informative, they'll probably share it with their friends. This can be a great source of new customers, so make sure to remind them to 'pass it on'.

Let others reprint your newsletter as long as the content is not modified. If you're happy to share your content with the universe, then why not! Many webmasters and newsletter publishers are actively looking for high-quality content and, if they reprint your newsletter, you'll get new subscribers, and more traffic and links pointing to your site.

Include a 'Sign Up' button in your newsletter. If you're using plain text instead of HTML, be sure to provide a text link to your subscription page. You may feel that this is not required because the subscriber is already on your list, but remember that readers will forward your newsletters to others, or reprint them online. Make it easy for them to subscribe!

Add a squeeze page. A squeeze page has one goal − to acquire opt-ins and build your list. Think of it as a mini-sales letter to go along with your subscription or opt-in gift. It should feature a strong headline and a couple of powerful benefits that should make subscribers salivate to sign up! Once created, use a service such as WordTracker to find hundreds of targeted keywords, and promote your offer using pay-per-click advertising from Google, MSN and Yahoo. Now that should make a splash!

Include testimonials on your squeeze page. This is crucial. Put one or two strong testimonials from satisfied customers on your squeeze page. This can be in any format, but you may find that multimedia (audio or video) is more 'believable' and inspires more people to action. To further enhance believability, get permission to use actual customer names, locations and/or urls (Don't use 'Bob K, FL'). Add a note inviting others to participate. After all, it's free publicity!

Blog religiously. Blogging is a great way to communicate with prospects and potential customers, and creates a nice synergy with your email marketing. Be sure to include your newsletter sign-up form on each page of your blog. You can start a free blog at Blogger or WordPress.

Post on other blogs. Post thoughtful comments and information on similar blogs with a link to your squeeze or opt-in pages. Also comment on others' blogs through trackbacks. In most cases, your comments will be posted on their blogs with a link back to your site. This is an easy way to generate new traffic and subscribers, and get your brand out there!

Houston Real Estate

I'm watching this Houston real estate market like a hawk. There's unbelievable buying activity especially at the lower price points. The margins are incredible. Yesterday I turned in a cash offer and was informed by the selling agent that my offer was among 12 others. I asked him, "how many of those offers are cash?". He replied, " four (4) of the offers are cash".

Today I received a call from a past client who wants to invest in the Houston market while it's hot. He's using IRA fund and wanted to put $300,000 into rental property for Triad to manage. He was thinking of the low end luxury market. I explained to him that the luxury market in Houston is still quite strong. In the higher price points I've seen some great margins and buying opportunities. Take this one for example with over $500,000 in equity on the table.....it was snatched up right away. Anyway, I went on to explain that the low end market is where the strong activity is. I recommended that he purchase (3) $90,000 homes instead. The profit margins are higher and the risk is less. At any given time it's easy to go online and find incredible real estate opportunities in the Houston area. Here's a list that I ran just for this article. Even though each of these three properties look like great transaction, the one that literally jumps off the page is "Cherry Forest". Cherry Forest is priced at $94,900 (at the time of this post), and was once closed at $169,000 back in 2005.

If your thinking about investing in real estate....consider the Houston Market!

Top Five Credit Management Tips of All Time

Hoping to help keep even more Americans from getting sucked into the black hole of consumer credit debt, the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve Board have announced the top five fundamental practices that consumers should follow to manage their personal credit.
During a May 22, 2003 credit management panel discussion hosted by Treasury and the Federal Reserve and attended by representatives of financial services organizations and community and consumer groups, consensus was reached on the following five fundamental practices:

1. Build savings to avoid high-cost debt and improve payment options.
2. Pay bills on time.
3. Pay more than the minimum payment.
4. Comparison shop for credit and obtain only the credit you need.
5. Understand your credit history and how it affects you.

"These fundamentals are an important first step toward educating.....Read Entire Article

Secret Searching Method

So, I'm working with a couple of cash buyers. One would think that the old adage, "Cash Is King", would still be a valid way of doing business. I'm beginning to wonder. I've noticed a trend with this current market where lenders/lien holders are willing to go for the two in a bush rather than 1 in the hand.

My cash clients have lost on several cash offers to slightly higher offers containing third party financing considerations. Go Figure! I've always stayed ahead of the curve and have been able to locate the good deals before the rest of the pack. If you hunt harder than the next guy you'll always eat. In this market alot of agents have gone on to other fields. Those that have decided to remain in the industry are either too new to understand the stakes or are experienced hunters.

So now it's Game Time! It's time for me to revert to back to covert marketing campaigns. And guess what? I've discovered something real interesting that I'm rather excited about. It works like a gem! I'll share a brief overview with you. For more detailed information....contact me and just ask me. It's so simple it's scary. What I've been doing is structuring a custom search based on expired listings. The end result is to locate individuals who were at one time offering their properties for sale at discounted pricing due to pending foreclosure, depreciated values or some other circumstance requiring a quick sale. These same individuals have been disappointed with unsuccessful marketing results. Resulting in the Listing becoming expired. This type of client can many times be a very easy individual to over exceed their expectations. In this market things have changed. There's real money to be made with Expired Listings. To keep ahead of the curve, we as agents must change and think of outside the box marketing techniques. He who hunts the hardest and the longest will always eat! I suggest that you experiment with Expired Listings.

Good Luck!

Great Time For Investors!

"It's also boom time for the companies that can supply those investors with financing when they need it.
"This is an absolutely wonderful market environment to be in," says Frank Sharp, who heads Watershed Renovation Capital, in Alexandria, Virginia. "

Read Entire Article....

Nearly 30 Keller Williams agents move to RE/MAX

Genny Williams, former team leader for the Keller Williams office, said in a news release that after she left and joined RE/MAX Advantage South in April, 27 agents from Keller Williams soon followed her.

The release said most of the agents that left to join RE/MAX were in the top 20 percent of production at Keller Williams.

Read Entire Article

The Hottest Real Estate Markets In the U.S.

Do you need to replace monies lost in the recent melt-down? Are you concerned about retirement funds? Why not consider real estate? And if you're going to consider real estate, you should choose the hottest U.S. Markets. As a matter of fact, on a list of the 10 hottest places in the U.S. to invest in, the state of Texas placed 3 times.

Here's a recent excerpt from the "Houston Newcomer Guide." Make sure to obtain your free newcomer reports:


Relocating to Houston? You Will Love it Here.
Houston is a dynamic, culturally diverse city that amazes visitors and natives alike with its ever-changing and infinite variety of attractions. Houston is an easy place to call home. Houston was ranked the #1 Best City to live by Kiplinger's Personal Finance. As the fourth-largest city in the United States, Houston has been also called "America’s booming opportunity city" by The American Magazine. Houston has one of the best and most affordable Real Estate markets, strong job growth and a broad-based and growing economy. The oil and gas industry, the strong health care job base and international trade, along with the can-do business atmosphere, position Houston as a leader.

We are proud to offer newcomers free guides to help your move to Houston go as smoothly as possible. Order your free newcomer guides and we will send the guides to you on the next mail run.

We also encourage you to use www.HoustonNewcomerGuides.com throughout your move. Click on the different sections around town listed above, then click on the Newcomer Directory. From there, you will be able to do research about Houston housing options, public and private schools, finance and mortgage information, relocation, ulitilities, Houston lifestyle and entertainment, employment and more.

Learn more about the Real Estate market in Houston here.

Houston is also home to the Astros, Texans, Rockets and MLS Champion Dynamos. Houston is also home to renown museums, theatres and other venues. With a favorable climate, Houstonians also enjoy many wonderful golf courses, beaches, parks and other outdoor activities.

As a native Houstonian, the Publisher is proud to market Houston to newcomers relocating to Houston. Welcome!

Why Commercial Real Estate?

Why You Need To Start Investing In Commercial Real Estate by Scott Scheel
People often ask me how I got started in commercial real estate, and I tell them that it was a conscious decision for me. Most people who begin investing in real estate start off with single family residential properties because that is what they are most comfortable with. They tell themselves, "All I need to do is a couple of deals a month. I'll make myself five or ten thousand dollars, then at the end of a very few months most of my problems will be taken care of." They do not really understand...

Read Entire Article

FEEL LIKE GAMBLING?

Everyone has been asking me to tell them where the big money is at. I believe that there is enormous wealth opportunities for current risk takers. Do your home work, trust the numbers, then take action. Invest in areas that have traditionally done well and increase the odds of success.

Take for instance Galveston, Texas which was recently devastated by Hurricane Ike. Galveston's location makes it a real gem. A good friend, from one of the title companies in Houston told me that fortunes are sitting like diamonds in the sand on the coast of Galveston.

So, I've been watching Galveston. What I've discovered is real exciting. I hope you checked out the preceeding link. The information contained in it makes Galveston's real estate a winning lottery ticket. I missed out on this offer but I've discovered a couple of much better transactions....one right on the beach.

Anyway, if anyone wants a winning lottery ticket.................contact me.

Crooked Insurance Companies!

One of my professors said, "Our nation will never rid itself of crime. It's too profitable of an industry." This same individual also taught that laws were written in favor of law breakers and many times it's the honorable, law abiding, tax paying citizen that's harmed after becoming entangled in the grips of corrupt system. Speaking of corrupt systems......Such is the case of many Houston homeowners negotiating with lenders and insurance companies trying to recover from hurricane Ike. I've heard stories of some claimants who have called their insurance company and were issued blank checks for damages that never occurred. Then others, who actually sustained extensive damage have be treated like criminals.


Let me explain by using my latest client's situation as an example heretofore referred to as Mr. Dahellup. Let's make Mr. Dahellup's first name Fed.

I spoke to Fed prior to the storm. He owns two home in the same basic southwest Houston area. One home he uses as rental, the other as primary residence. Mr. Fed has or...had, great credit and has always paid both mortgages on time. Fed's primary home is worth $130,000 with approximately $90,000 remaining in liens against it. As for Mr. Fed's rental property, it has depreciated in value to approximately $55,000 due to foreclosures in the area. It has existing liens against it as well totalling $75,000 which actually makes it upside-down. Fed doesn't mind it's diminished value though, because he has....or had, a tenant who was paying enough to cover the liens plus put a little cash in his pocket. Fed is completely content with paying off his debt. He's a hardworking, tax abiding, law abiding, believer in the free enterprise, U.S. citizen. Then came Hurricane Ike. Ike was a natural disaster no one could predicted. Fed's rental property experienced extensive damage.


Mr. Fed has always kept his insurance current on his property and his insurance company has always seem to be fair and honest so, he wasn't really worried about repairs. To prevent his tenant from being displaced, Fed spent some of his personal cash while waiting on insurance claims to re-imburse him for expenditures. Fed put a ding on his credit with a late payments on his rental property. Fed fell two months behind on his rental mortgage payment. Fed is about to learn a very costly lesson.....which is: "The quality of service rendered by insurance companies quickly diminishes after one needs to file a claim."

Rather than sending the money directly to Fed, the insurance company disbursed the check made payable to Fed and his lien holder. Fed forwards the check to his lien holder explaining that he has already spent some of the funds but needs to complete the work for the house to be habitable. Fed's tenant discovered that some of the water damage behind the walls are developing into mold making the house unsafe. Fed's tenant moves out due to health reasons. Fed's mortgage servicer informs him that because of his arrears, they are not going to release the insurance check to him. Fed can't finish the repairs on his $55,000 home which has a $75,000 lien on it....

I received a phone call....... The individual on the other end of the phone starts by saying, "Hi Mr.Green, I need your help selling my home." I say sure, I'd be glad to! I'm glad you called! Then I ask......"Who is this?" He says, "It's me, I'm Fed Dahellup!".....

In these cases, no one wins..... all because of some clerk collector not looking at the whole picture.

Sure, I'll do what's best for my client. In this case probably a short sale in the amount of $40,000 will be in order. The sale amount needs to be low enough to excite investor money. Heck at that price I might even buy it. Mr. Fed's position is to just give it away to who ever wants it. He's tired of messing with them. I'm gonna personally go to bat for him and begin talks with these crazy entities. Keep you posted.....

Anfractuosity Protection

How does one protect him or herself from the effect of such an anfractous economic market? By sticking to the basics. Buy for one and Sell for two. Don't stay on the sidelines....like the Lottery motto, "You gotta be in it, to win it!". I talked to one of the manager's in the U.S. Postal system. She told me something that real got me thinking. She said that every 1 cent increase in gas prices equated to about 500 million in Postal Service operational overhead. Granted, this conversation took place during the height of our recent inflated gas price ordeal. But think of it...if that's the case for the Postal Service, then what will be the effect of recent lowered gas prices on the overall national economy? It has to be monumental! I started a thread in BiggerPockets a while back on the gas prices issue and was amazed at some of the posts I received. It was a real eye opener.

Here's a few facts that might make the astute investor consider the possibility of real estate as a viable alternative to the current market instability.

1. Current mortgage rates are at a 30 year low. Money for qualified buyers is cheaper than it's been in 30 years.
2. Existing real estate to include new construction is on the average 22% less than true values and many sellers are more than negotiable.
3. The decreasing cost of gasoline is equivalent to approximate 300 billion dollars worth of economic stimulus.

The past economic melt-down was signaled by distinctive signs. Even so the U.S. market has began it's natural process of cicatrization. My suggestion is strike while the iron is hot and leave the hackneyed excuses to the faint at heart. I think it was Warren Buffet who said that he reacts with caution when others are greedy and forges forward courageously when the multitude cringes in fear. It's good advice! The time to act is Now! Don't wait too late!

STARTER INVESTOR SPECIAL!!!! MAKE $7,500 QUICK!!!

I just got off the phone with the owner of a small house in Tennessee. She wants to sell her 3 bedroom 2 bath home as-is for aproximately $16,000. The home need $5,000 in repairs and is worth $45,000 to $50,000 once repaired. I asked the seller if she would accept a contract contingent upon the inclusion of and or assignee as one of the prospective purchasers. She stated that it would be o.k. I myself would rather work on transactions close to home but, am willing to turn this transaction over to anyone who might be interested for a minimal fee of $200 prior to pursuing it. I actually figure one could probably sell this property for 50 cents on the dollar without doing repairs for a quick $6 or $7 grand. If you want info the the property email dcgreen@houstonhotdeals.com with QUICK $7,500 in the subject line.

Knowing When to Hold 'Em!

I'm on the MLS daily searching properties in the Houston and surrounding area. I'm amazed at the number of great deals hitting the market. This current market has presented valuable purchase opportunities for every price point. I was talking to an agent early this morning who's property was selling for $68,000. It's part of a 9 or 10 group of single family homes owned by one investor. The properties are selling for around 65 to 68 cents on the dollar.

I often send out generic e-mails to short-sale, pre-foreclosure, and foreclosure listed properties asking whether or not they would consider even further discounts off the listed extremely short, short price. Occasionally, they respond with YES!!! PLEASE SEND US AN OFFER!!!

I'm currently working on a transaction where the builder really doesn't care what the selling price is. He stated that whatever the lender would approve as a short sale, he would be willing to sign off on. So I'm recommending that all of my potential customers make sure to purchase properties well under value in traditionally stable areas also be prepared to hold on to properties for at least 5 to 7 years.

Here's an article containing some great purchase tips!


Buying Smart(Housing : U.S.) 10/31/2008
SAN ANTONIO (San Antonio Express-News) – Those wishing to buy a home under the current economic conditions may be glad they did, as long as they are wise in selecting their location.

Barry Nystedt of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents predicts that values in many coveted communities very gradually will begin rising during the next six to 12 months. In areas where the economy is weak, however, he says prices could remain stagnant for three years or longer.

“Right now there are too many properties for sale in lots of places. But in areas where inventories are starting to tighten, you should soon begin to see signs of recovery,” he said. Industry experts give homebuyers a few things to consider when selecting a neighborhood. Among the things a buyer should look for are:

Read Entire Article:

Who Wants $100,000?

I'm so excited about this new listing! It's a quick money maker for the right individual. I'll give you a brief overview here on the blog. For more information, you will need to e-mail me. The property is located in one of Houston's Historical neighborhoods. It was originally purchased by one of my clients under valued a couple of years ago. At the time of purchase, the property value was worth approximately $210,000. The same client then spent $40,000 plus in building upgrades converting the property into a salon. The current tax assessed value of this property is $180+ and it's estimated market value, (business included is $325,000+).

Here's where it gets good! The seller only wants $175,000. For more info: dcgreen@houstonhotdeals.com

Short Sales $100,000 to $150,000

There some real values on this list. I'm gonna keep adding to it so keep checking back. For instance.....I spoke to one of the owners who flat out stated that she would entertain any offer that the lender would accept. Another agent explained that the sellers would take any offer to prevent foreclosure. Yep! There's gold on this here list! One property is located is a traditionally strong stable Houston area bound to bring it's new owners great results.
Check out the list here! Return later to read my notes from discussions held with the agents and or property owners.

Such a Hot Deal about to come available.

Have you every wanted the opportunity to negotiate with the seller before the property is available to anyone? Here's an opportunity to do just that. Let me explain....

Recently I held an open house on one of my rentals. One of the viewers told me that she needed to move quickly and wanted me to help her locate a rental home. After working with her for a couple of days, I discovered that she currently owns a home that she's going to walk away from because of two reasons.

1. An adjustable rate mortgage continually going upward.
2. Not being able to refinance due to market changes.

She also feels like the area that the property is located in is depreciating due to nearby foreclosures.

I took a look at the numbers and guess what? The numbers state that this is a great property to hold on to. This is a great property for someone looking for a short purchase. If you want to stay updated on this property drop me a quick e-mail.

Easy $50,000 in Equity

Just got off the phone with a out-of-town seller who owns property here in the Houston area. She's easy to work with and not profit driven. She just wants out of the property. I took a quick look at the comparibles for properties in the area and was delightfully amazed with the results.

For those that want to hold on instead of flip, this property has strong rental potential @ over 3200 square feet. With this subdivision's hot rental market demanding 59 cents a square foot, this property is a real gem coming in at over $1,900 per month.

There's plenty of room in this one. Email me for further details.

Houston Market

The Houston real estate market remains strong even during current economic uncertainties. Several factors contribute to Houston's vibrant real estate industry. Houston’s after tax living cost makes it one of the best places in the U.S. to live at approximately 12% below the national average. This is largely due to the fact that Houston’s housing cost is 26% below the national average.
Houston, Sugarland, Baytown’s $325.5 billion Gross Area Profit (GAP) for 2006 was more than Austria’s, Poland’s or Saudi Arabia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In 2006, Forbes Magazine ranked the Houston Metropolitan area as the third best places in the U.S. for businesses and careers.
Houston’s major industries are Oil & Gas, Manufacturing, Engineering, Real Estate, Medicine, Biotechnology, Aerospace, and Marine Science. There is no state or local personal income tax. Sales Tax is 8.25%. Even the horrific collapse of Enron has not prevented Houston from ranking among top three cities for investing in downtown redevelopment projects.

I once felt that legislators missed the boat when introducing 80% maximum LTV of appraised value for cash-out refinancing. That same requirement has helped Texas homeowners retain large amounts of their home equity during the current mortgage sub-prime meltdown.

Many foreign investors are taking advantage of weak U.S. dollars and strong Houston real estate values to reap huge rewards. Read More......

Foreclosure Tips

I was talking to a client today who informed me that someone from the city spoke to her and was going to help cure her arrears by adjusting her escrow account. I asked her if her payment included principle, interest, taxes and insurance. She said no. I then informed her that she did not have a escrow account to adjust and to be careful about calls from individuals who claimed to be able to cure her default judgement and stop her foreclosure for a fee.Here's a few tips and guidelines to remember when facing foreclosure. The most important advice is to talked to an expert that's honest and will advise you to your best interest. As long as you own the property, there's options available.Also remember that your mortgage lien holder may not always choose the best alternative for your financial future. Many lenders are directing borrowers into repayment plans that defer past due amounts payable at the same interest rate but extended terms. The best solution for most borrowers in many cases is a total modification of current loan terms into a lesser principle amount or a lower interest rates.