Making an offer that Sellers take Seriously

[Yetzul Werner]

I am a science teacher from Houston, TX who decided to get into real estate investing after reading Rich Dad Poor Dad. Since I read the book, I got my real estate license, signed up with a broker, and sold my first house. Now that I know the process, my husband and I are looking for our first rental property.

We have been using the MLS to find potential investment properties. My husband is an accountant for a CPA firm and he's helping me to analyze the properties. So far, we've realized that the best way to make cash flow is a low purchase price in a rent intensive neighborhood. The hardest thing so far is finding a rental property at a low purchase price. I've made many offers, but no one has taken us seriously yet. Is there a way to improve the offers to make them more appealing without reducing our profit considerably? (i.e. increasing the earnest money, less seller concessions, higher down payment)

[Richard C.]

Make offers on houses with high DOM, for cash, in winter (or whatever if off-season where you are.)  That will get you a discount.

Don't expect seller concessions in a hot or reasonably hot market.