Out of the Box Source for OFF MARKET Properties

Seeking a source for off market properties that is outside the box of where most might look? Yes, locating off market properties is a challenge, and not for the faint of heart as it is real work! However, when the right deal is found, it’s like discovering gold!

You may have heard of, or even used various methods to locate off market gems, but you may not have heard of, or used this option.

Gaining off market properties through non-profit organizations. Yes, that’s right, from non-profits. Just how do they end up with properties? You see donating anything of value can be a tax write off. Donors are not always just individuals. They can be businesses, corporations, trusts, estates, etc.

By the way, donations do not only pour in around tax time, they happen throughout the year. You may have seen the ads, or billboards, for donating your car, boat, or house to a charity. You might have thought – “What do they want with my car, boat or house?” They do not necessarily want the item (asset), they want the cash that can be gained from selling the item(s).

Your thoughts may be leaning toward charities like Habitat for Humanity, an international charity, or perhaps regional or local charities that help people to become homeowners or sheltered. This would be natural as they are already working with real estate in their business model. However they are by far, not the only charities that are open to accepting real estate donations.

In fact, if you were to do an online search for charities that accept real estate as donations you would be very shocked to find that there are many, many, many of them! You see, these charities realize that real estate has value, and if they gain it as a donation without a cost associated to it, when they convert that value to cash, by selling the real estate, they have quite a sizable donation in deed.

Do yourself a favor and NOT overlook religious organizations as a source for charitable donations received. Many fail to remember that churches are non-profits. Additionally, their congregations are increasingly getting older. Don’t believe me, just park outside a church when the service is happening and watch the people leaving at the end of the service…..a lot of gray hair! These elderly church goers may not have anyone to will their real estate to. Perhaps they never married, or never had children, or maybe they have out-lived their spouse, etc. You would be surprised to discover that many churches are the recipients of real estate in the wills of the deceased members. Like most of the other forms of charitable organizations, they do not want the real estate, but rather the cash that is generated from selling the real estate.

You have the opportunity of saving the non-profit organizations receiving the real estate as donations the hassle of seeking a realtor to place the donated property on the market for sale. You can approach the local non-profits (including churches) in the areas that you operate and share with them that you buy houses (even ones that need work) and can be their fast cash resource for converting property that is donated into cash.

Even charities such as Habitat for Humanity sometimes receive property that doesn’t fit their business model either for location or type, so do not pass them by when you are visiting local non-profits.

If you are really creative you might even offer to partner with the local non-profits in advertising for real estate as donations. This could help your business be seen in a charitable light, perhaps gain exposure and maybe more properties than you would have from standard advertising………just a thought.

With all of this said you might be wondering just how many real estate donations are actually made in a given year? Well, would you believe that there is roughly $471 Billion dollars donated annually to charities, and that 3% of that figure is real estate value. I know that 3% isn’t a big figure, but 3% of $471 Billion is still $14 Billion, One Hundred Thirty Million! That is a lot of real estate! Just sayn’.

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