All Forum Posts by: Brandy Horkey

@Andres G., I agree, talk to an attorney.  I buy tax deed properties in Florida and typically any known heirs will have to show cause to the court for a claim to the property. An attorney can give you specifics on how it works in your state.

Also, you should be able to search public records to find liens and a general background of the property.  

@David Flores I’m in Florida so I’m guessing it’s probably a different story where you are. Land usually sells for more than the county assessment here. Property with structures typically have a wider spread. I currently have a property that assessed at 13k with a mobile home. Mobile home is no longer on the property so it is just a square of weeds now. Without the mobile home, I had 3 offers for 15k. I am not in front of my computer right now and I don’t recall what the actual property assessment is but it is substantially less without the MH. 

@David Flores could this not still be a viable purchase?  If the county assessed it at 24K, surely it is with more than that on the open market. 

Just a quick update.  I have this property with a title company and going through QT action now.  They tell me it should be a 60 day turn around.  

I have an opportunity to pick up some acreage that is currently being used for recreation(camping, 4 wheeling, etc).  The lots are cut into just over 1 acre parcels.  In order to access the area, you must have a deed to one of the lots. As long as you have a deed with your name on it, you can roam the land....all of it(except for a few spots that are apparently off limits). I have done a lot of research on these parcels and it seems that the folks that are active on the property, have found a way to make a bit of money off of their land.

The owners are selling an interest in the property for just under $1,000 which gets the buyer's name on the deed via QC.  I have identified at least 2 properties where there are 36 and 53 owners listed on the deeds.  Checking the sales histories, these folks have made ~$24,500 and ~$38,000, respectively.  Many others have anywhere from 3-10 people listed as Owners.

I know this is not a conventional way to do things but it does seem like it works, at least as far as the county is concerned. So, I have a few questions if there is anyone that cares to comment :)

1. Is anyone familiar with this procedure? Can you offer any advise if so?
2. If someone is listed as an "Owner", can they sue the other owners?
3. If I want out of the deal after I've made my money, can I sell my share via QC to one of the other "Owners"?
4. I thought of setting a storage container on a lot and offering it for storage, for a fee. Any thoughts on this one?
5. Would a FL Land Trust allow me to add names to the deed in the same way with less liability?

A little history on the property, it sits about 7 miles outside of a small town and the parcels were defined back in the 70's and sold off to individuals, most of which are not even in the country to care what is happening on their property.  There are no improvements on the land but there are dirt roads still cut in line with all property lines.  The folks that are using the land are "good ol boys" that have no intention of letting the land go, unless the right price comes along, I'd bet. There isn't much notable growth in the area so I do not anticipate that a developer would come in any time soon, therefore, the land is not worth very much.  They have formed a Property Owners Association to keep the county happy. 

@David Flores I’m not sure about merging from Word to Excel but you should be able to Google Excel Mail Merge and get the info you need pretty fast.  I am more familiar with merging from Excel to Word. 

@David Flores thanks for the update. I’m kinda excited for you!:-) 

I completely understand your thought on the personal touch you are approaching this with and on the point of the shipping addresses, do you have the addresses in a spreadsheet? Just a little food for thought here, I have received things in the mail before that were hand written and usually I will open them if they don’t stink of advertising but I also get mail sometimes that looks hand written but is actually a handwriting font that looks very realistic. Can’t begin to tell you how many car dealership sales I have opened lol. Anyway, if you have the addresses in a spreadsheet, what about printing them on good old white labels from your printer? Just from my point of view, no company trying to sell anything ever uses  those. In my head, white labels means that someone, most likely an individual, took the time to give the mail a professional touch but actually took the time to type out, print and adhere the label. If you have any proficiency with Excel and/or Word, you could have all of your envelopes addressed within an hour. 

Can’t wait to hear how this turns out for you!

@David Flores please keep updating on your progress. I’ve been working on picking up properties through county auctions where I am but I want to also dip into this way of acquiring lands as I progress. Lots to learn before I start that route though. Thanks, Brandy

@Account Closed Yes, buyer is aware of the lien. My chickens have not hatched yet...

@Jay Hinrichs Wayne has been a big help. I also had someone reach out to me privately that had a similar situation. I’d prefer to learn from those willing to offer knowledge I can use than be brought down by negativity.