Do you use Craigslist to find homes?

[Lee Pegram]

I hope this is helpful and I am not posting something someone has already posted. I have been looking on Craigslist and buying mobile homes for the last 4 years. This last year I found an awesome app on my Android smart phone that is called Craigslist Notification. It is a free app that alerts me like a text message when new posts are put on Craigslist. I have found about 4 homes this year and great success with this app. It allows you to be the first contact to many people who: need to sell fast, have their home priced great already, or I have also watched homes that have been posted over and over and I know that they may have a hard time selling and may consider any offer.

I hope this helps someone! I assume that and smart phone would have a similar app.

[Ken Rishel]

Lee - I owe you dinner for your post, maybe more. While I have some ownership in communities, these days it is mostly as a silent investor with someone else doing all the work, so I don't keep up on all the latest electronic marketing methods, and Craig's List is not being used in the communities I'm involved in because they are mostly 4-5 star communities.

Now to the point. Out of curiosity I bought and downloaded the app to my iPad. My wife and I were traveling and we were in an area I did not know well and had some extra time. After checking my email, I decided to fiddle with the CL app, and looked at MH for sale. I spotted one for a late model MH in a park where it could stay and was struck by the price (fairly low) and called the guy. Listen to his tale of woe, went out and did my DD on the home, his title, and his lot rent situation (current).

He wanted 12K (house was worth more). I negotiated it to 6K cash money on the spot. I then called the actual park owner (out of state) instead of the community manager and sold him the house over the phone for 9K. This was on a Friday, and I had my money on Monday. The whole thing took two hours. I have now done similar deals twice since. I see no reason I can't keep doing this except for a lack of free time.

Thanks again for the tip!