The opportunist meets his nemesis-Greed fires back

The opportunist meets his nemesis-Greed fires back

Woodbridge, VA · Member since 2017 · 122 posts · 44 votes

I like to share my friend's (F) recent transaction. He was a professional negotiator/arbitrator for some time before jumping in RE. 

He offered 210K cash for a property to a large wholesaler (WS) who was advertising it for 225K. WS emailed promptly to call him within the hour or someone else may take the deal. F deliberately emails to say he is dealing with an emergency but will call before noon (a few hours later). 

F calls and WS claims she need 220 to accept the offer and if he can revise the offer, F stays firm and the call ends quickly presumably the deal was secured with someone else. A week later, WS calls back congratulating F since the "other buyer" could not close. 

F thanks for the call, and politely confirms that he has moved on but is willing to pay 200K as his interest has dwindled. WS clearly pissed off, claims they have a huge list (which they probably do) and will sell it no time and was doing F a favor and allowing him the opportunity. F stays firm and the call ends on not so positive note due to WS's feeling that she is being cheated. 

WS calls 10 days later stating that since he is able to pay cash they reconsidered and willing to accept 200K. F being a trooper he is, offers 185K because he really would be buying for his non-existing son so he can get some experience. WS, if she could, would choke F with he bare hands. After much wrangling, F relents at 188K and a deal was struck. 

You must be prepared to walk away from the deal.

0Reply
42 views

3 Replies

Jump to latestLatest
  • China, ME · Member since 2014 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    4y

    @Jacob Beg This is one of the hazards of dealing with wholesalers, who in reality are just unlicensed real estate brokers operating illegally.

    Wholesalers in almost every case have bamboozled the property owner into thinking that THEY are going to buy the property (they're not).  They are neither capable nor willing and are hoping to find a sucker to pay more than they have the property under contract for.  That's the wholesaler's stock in trade.

    Wholesalers are almost exclusively untrustworthy.  Relying on anything they say is hazardous to your financial well being.

    Their supposed "huge list" is modern day mythology.  It is, to put it bluntly, a pile of crap.  At best, it's a list of wanna-be "investors" that together couldn't finance an ice cream cone.

    Steer clear of these slimy liars and you'll be a lot further ahead in your investing.

  • Investor · Greenville, SC · Member since 2016 · 5k+ posts · 13k+ votes
    4y

    I would not want to be F or WS. I would prefer to make an offer that fit my criteria and not re-trade multiple times. Deal flow is the lifeblood of REI, and having your partner want to choke you is not a good business relationship.

  • Woodbridge, VA · Member since 2017 · 122 posts · 44 votes
    4y

    @Charlie MacPherson Wholesalers are generally untrustworthy and I totally agree that they should be held to the same standards as agents. However, they remain a source for off market deals and sometimes quite attractive ones. You just can’t take anything they say at face value. I have to give them some credit for their ability yo persuade a seller to agree to an assignable contract in a robust market. Typically, they target the elderly or what I would consider a vulnerable group to part with their equity (not always). 

    @Mike Dymski- In this transaction WS is hardly a business partner. WS only objective is to maximize their own gains. The standalone nature of the transaction means that each party must gain at the other’s expense. This business model is created by the wholesaler  community in my view. Never mind If you’ve bought ten houses from a particular wholesaler and a cash buyer, if he can get and additional 2k elsewhere he will take it. 

Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.