Re: Creative ways to find houses

[Diskin Young]

Hi all,

I am looking for some ways you have found homes NOT listed on the MLS, so I want to buy directly from the homeowner.

[Brian Gibbons]

This is old school....

1. Place a newspaper ad (major daily)
2. Place an ad in Pennysaver, Thrifty Nickel, Greensheet, etc.
3. Bandit signs
4. Drive neighborhoods looking for vacant houses and FSBO's
5. Call FSBO ads
6. Search MLS for junker properties
7. Search MLS for expired listings
8. Contact landlords who are evicting a tenant
9. Contact landlords with properties for rent
10. Pre-foreclosures
11. Foreclosure auctions
12. REO's
13. HUD & VA houses
14. Tax sales
15. Estate sales
16. Properties with outstanding building code violations
17. Properties with outstanding health code violations
18. Condemned properties
19. Fire damaged properties
20. Out of area owners
21. Network with professionals, i.e. attorney, CPA, REALTOR®.
22. Network with service people, i.e. letter carrier, pool service person, lawn service person, newspaper delivery person, carpet cleaning people, plumbers, etc.
23. Bird Dogs
24. Wholesalers
25. Magnetic car sign
26. Distribute business cards EVERYWHERE
27. Career attire (Polo shirt with embroidered "I Buy Houses" logo)
28. Fliers
29. Door hangers
31. billboards
32. radio spots
32. TV spots
33. full-page ads in the yellow pages