Pre-Foreclosure Experiment - Preliminary Results
I sent out exactly a 100 letters to people I found (within the last month) on foreclosure going through courthouse records.
All 100 people I sent a letter the first week and followed up with a postcard 4 days later. With 50 of them - I actually was able to get their phone number and I actually called offering my services.
The Results: I had 10 call backs - BUT ONLY FROM THE PEOPLE I CALLED.
Conclusion: Better get on the phone if you want results.
Your comments.
You can't explain your problems to a postcard or letter can you.
Sounds like a pretty good response. And it didn't cost you as much as the postcards/postage.
I would think folks in foreclosure would have a lot on their mind and feel like their all alone.
So to have someone like you call and listen and show concern for their problem makes the difference.
Hope your able to put a couple deals together.
Good Luck.
I'll add to that...
Most of the positive results come from beating on doors, doorknocking. It's a pain but it works. They see you as a helpful human being and not a shark ...no pun intended on my nickname.
Ward in San Diego agrees that the way to do it is on foot, not by mail. If phoning is your thing, get the contact info from the title co's. Hope this Helps. -MakoShark
So if doorknocking is even better...than what do you hand them - Do you have a packet that helps them explain everything better?
Thanks for your response.
NM CURSE:
Nice to Meet You!
Here's a link to go to-
http://www.thecreativeinvestor.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Forum&file=viewtopic&topic=4461&forum=18
It comes as part of my FREE RE Marketing Tips as well as a FREE Introductory Internet RE Marketng Training Course for Advance and New RE Investors.
Let me know if I can Hbe of HeLP!
Derrick Ali
NM Curse,
Hi sorry to be a sponge rather than a help, but I am a newbie in the Dallas area and was wondering how did you manage to get the names of the 100 peoples from the courthouses who are up for foreclosure. What department handles this and is this public information? does one need to be a real estate agent to ask for this?
thanks
VJ
No worries - what you need to do (depends on your county) but you can call the County Clerk of your county and ask where and what is process of going through the Notice of Defaults or Lis Pendens. You must use one of the 2 because most courthouse employees won't know what your talking about if you say, 'I want to search the foreclosures..' (at least I run into this roadblock)
They might send you to the district courthouse if they don't have a computer to let you search them electronically. In one of the counties I have to actually go through each record by hand - this is good because I've been told that most people that come won't actually do it since they don't have the patience so I'm the only person in that county searching the records.
Doesn't hurt to bring some muffins or buy lunch for the courthouse crew if you're a weekly visitor - I even have one lady calling me when a good one comes through.
Even after all of this work - this is the easy part - getting the house and the buyer is yet another problem within itself - Good Luck.
I wouldent discount the value of the letter. As we know a key ingredient in marketing is multiple messages.
If you would like to do another experiment, When you call ask if they have ever heard of you. I'm sure some will and some wont. If they diden't, they will at least know they could have,just from the question. If they did ,your mailing has allready impacted them in some way.
I think its usefull in heading down the rite path with them
nmcurse,
Just wondered if you were able to locate any other phone numbers using the reverseaddress website.?
I assume you already tried that.
Yes, after putting the addresses in the database I created to track properties - I lookup as many phone numbers as possible.
My next experiment will be calling vs doorknocking.