Contacting Owners

[Gabrielle Banks]

Good Morning BP! As many of you investors know, the first step in making an offer on a property is contacting the owner! I have an interest in making offers on a number of properties where the owner contact information is outdated (typically on offmarket properties)! Any suggestions on online services that search and provide reliable info. Have you guys run into this problem?

[Justin Lenk]

I've used Spokeo before and it put the pieces of the puzzle together for me. But before you do any of that, go knock on door at the property and see if anyone lives there! If it's vacant/abandoned, most of the time the neighbors will know the story and may even have contact information to give. Just think, if a ugly vacant/abandoned house is on their street, they want you to come fix it up and make it look pretty again. It's an eyesore and if they have phone numbers they're likely to give them to you for that reason alone. 

For example, there's a property that I pass all the time that NEEDS WORK. It's abandoned (Tall grass, Mail Piling Up, Notice on Window, ect). I tried mailing to the mailing address with no reply, I tried using spokeo (which provided numbers and another mailing address). Then I talked to 3 neighbors, if they weren't home, I left a note saying something like: "I'd like to purchase the vacant house at xxx st. If you have any information that would be helpful I would greatly appreciate it" and left my number. A lady called the next day telling me the whole long story of how the owner has autism, is in a nursing home, and the county won't let him sell. I should have gone to the neighbors first!

On to the next one!

-Justin