All Forum Posts by: J. Lamar Ferren

This will probably be the only update I give regarding this company as I'm not here to go back and forth with those who want to argue about it. I don't have the time or patience.

First off, this program is not an MLM program. MLM stands for Multi Level Marketing and it is a good business model when done correctly and ethically.

The problem is that there are many out there who promote MLM programs unethically and even some programs that are blatant scams and when other companies come on board with similar a similar business model, they automatically get a bad rap.

Just like investors get a bad rap... Some people tend to think we're just a bunch of lowball offering sharks out to get people... this assumption comes from unethical and greedy investors. That's just the way it is. Word of mouth spreads fast along with ignorance.

This program actually follows an Affiliate Progam Business Model because it has 1-2 tiers. So it's actually called a 1 or 2 tier affililate program. (This has to do with the marketing side only and does not apply to the actual funding)

It still qualifies as Network Marketing which is why people think its an MLM program, but again because is only has 1-2 tiers it is not the case.

MLMs can get a bad rap because the model is somewhat similar to a Pyramid or Ponzi Scheme. However it is only similar in it actual downline structure. One person brings in another who brings in another, who brings in another, and so on...to however many levels.

However, the key difference is that Pyramid/Ponzi schemes don't usually offer any product or service and they make signing up others the only benefit.

I actually coach others who want to be successful in the network marketing industry, so trust me when I say its legal, ethical, and works when you are with the right company and do it the right way.

The ******************** program we are referring to offers several products and services and makes the marketing/affiliate side of the business an option and not mandatory to gain access to the products and services. It even says that clearly on the website.

So the main question is why are so many people going after this program.

Well, because it's the real deal. The funding is there for those who need it and the marketing/affiliate side actually pays.

Investors get an opportunity to get weekly training/mentoring from John Alexander who has been in this industry for years and years. I'll admit I was skeptical based upon the rumors being spread about him online, but once I found out the truth and actually worked with him, I found out that he was genuine and knows his stuff.

With that said, I have been apart of this program for over a year now and I'm happy with the value provided from both an educational and monetary standpoint. (This is on both the marketing/affiliate side of the business and the real estate funding side. Yes you're deals really do get funded. As long as you have everything in place, they will put the money up to get your deal funded and closed. )

Hope this clears up anything. I doubt it will as I know how discussions like these can get. lol. But I thought I'd throw my two cents in there to let people know the real deal when it comes to this program, especially because I've been in it for so long and have seen much success.

-J. Lamar Ferren

If you have questions regarding the program then you can send me a PM. Other than that, I think I've said enough.

What benefit will the license give you? That is the real question. Because to invest in real estate, all you need is to be a principal in the transaction. You don't need a license.

@Tara- Thanks and I hope you enjoyed it.

@ Ilmar- Honestly, I don't view the properties in person. I use to just interview the seller and gather pictures for the investor. If the investor was interested then they'd go check out the house themselves.

Now if I was going to view the property in person, then I'd initially target For Sale By Owner (FSBO) properties. No Realtors to worry about. Although, if the deal was good and it had a Realtor, then I would just build a relationship with that Realtor and be open with them about what I'm doing. Usually they'll say that they can't pay you a referral fee, which is true...but they can pay you a marketing fee.

If all else fails and the realtor won't allow me to do it, then I'm moving on to the next. I don't get attached to any deal, no matter how much is at stake.

Hope that helps.

-J. Lamar

Try out flock.com

It's a browser that combines alot of the social media sites all in one place, as well as blogging. Main thing is to build relationships and give value. I think I'll do a post regarding this on the BP blog.

@ Tony

lol. I really have been thinking about it.

Thank you Ty. Hope they help...

@Kari- I'll do whatever I can to help. Just realize that the less confidence you have, the less success you have.

@Thai Tang- Thank you and I will definitely be a sponge.

@ Joshua Dorkin- Thanks Josh and I look forward to it!

@ Will Barnard- Thanks Will. So the BP nation is what we call it huh.....Got it!

Big Hello to the Bigger Pockets Community!

First off, I just want to say how excited I am to be apart of this community and glad to see that Bigger Pockets has really stepped up their game over the past couple of years by embracing Social Media & providing massive value to their members.

This is something that I find truly attractive and I plan to gain and contribute as much as possible.

For those of you that don't know me, my name is J. Lamar Ferren and I'm a New Breed Real Estate Investor out of Woodbridge, Va. I'm 26 years old, married for about 6 years, and I have 3 children. (6yrs, 3 yrs, and 7mos.)

I've been investing in real estate for almost 5 years now and will admit that I had a bunch of struggles in the beginning because I analyzed my every move...although I wasn't "moving" anywhere. I hesitated and questioned my knowledge on certain aspects of real estate...

To be honest, I was afraid...

I always hung out in forums like these asking and answering questions and not really doing what needed to be done on my part.

When I reached a point in my life where I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I contacted my mentor and got serious about my business. That is the point where I started doing deals and I'm still doing deals today.

It was nothing more than a simple mindshift that transformed into a saying that I live and do business by:

"I will not hesitate to take down any deal in the country, without seeing it in person, as long as it is profitable"

There are some that think this approach is foolish, some that feel it's a bunch of hot air, and some that feel it is a bold claim...However, I don't make my money by going with the crowd.

I've been taught to go after the most creative strategies and push myself outside my comfort zone as much as possible. My motivation is my family...I will do whatever it takes to provide for them and live life on my terms.

If you want to know more about me, then you can read my bio or send me a message.

Again, I'm glad to be apart of this community and am willing to learn and help in any way I can. :cool:

Thanks Mr_Investor. That was my intent and I hope it is beneficial.

The purpose of this posting is to give you Birddogs (Property Locator sounds better) a little help in getting started in the birddog world. I just want to outline your responsibilities as a birddog and how to avoid pitfalls, which may discourage your efforts.

STEP 1. Find an Investor to Birddog for.

-You can find investors anywhere. Bigger Pockets is a great start. Look at their profiles and find out if they are looking for deals. Build rapport and see if that investor gives out referral/finder fees for properties that you locate for them

- You can always advertise your services in the the newspaper classified ads section.

- Use websites like craigslist.com, backpage.com, kaboo.org, etc. One thing you will learn in the Real Estate world is that MARKETING is what drives the biz. No matter if your a birddog, or an investor.


STEP 2. Identify your Investor's Criteria

- Ask them what areas they need properties in. If they say Nationwide, then you hit the jackpot because you can look anywhere.

- Ask them what ARV (After Repair Value) or LTV (Loan to Value) they purchase at minus the repair costs.

Here's an example: Let's say a property is worth $100,000 and needs $0.00 in Repairs. The investor tells you that they purchase at 70% ARV - rehab costs.

How much should the seller's asking price be? Your answer $70,000

[$100,000 (Home Value) X 70% ARV - 0.00 repairs= $70,000.

Therefore your investor will most likely not purchase this home for more than $70,000. If the seller is asking for more, Ask them if they'll consider less. If they say No, Move onto the next one. If they say Yes, contact your investor ASAP. If they say maybe, Contact your Investor ASAP. Unless you are really skilled at negotiating, let the seller know that you'll get in touch with your investor and he/she will be handling the negotiating offer, once you submit the deal to them.

STEP 3: GET IT IN WRITING.

-This is a good way to do business, but if you can't get it in writing, then so be it. You can still do business with the Investor. Don't let that hold you back. BUT with that said, when you start wholesaling or investing yourself, everything you do should be in writing. IT BETTER BE!! LOL


Step 4. Give your Investor as much INFO upfront as possible.

- The less info you provide, the slower the deal will probably go, because You'll be busy playing the messenger. Everytime Your Investor asks you a question, you have to run back to the seller, then you take the seller's answer and run back to the Investor to give them that. This can go on for days, before your Investor even contacts the Seller. DON'T WASTE TIME. Here's what they will most likely be looking for and forgive me if I miss anything, but you can always ask Your INVESTOR ANYWAY:


1. Asking Price
2. Property Value
3. Repair Costs
4. Repair details
5. Mortgage Balance (If applicable)
6. Mortgage Payments (If applicable)
7. Reason Why the seller is Selling!
8. Comparables
9. PHOTOS
10. Full Address and contact INFO of Owner

Now, I listed 10 things that are necessary for Investors to make decisions. There are much more thing's they'll need, but what I listed above should keep the questions to a minimum. If anything the 1st 6 steps to include the Photos is definitely a MUST Give. Investors want the NUMBERS and PICTURES. Just Numbers will do for some of them. That is what will make them look at your deal.

Step 5. Always keep the Contact Info of the seller and the Investor.

-If you do not hear from your investor. Follow up with them. If they can't be reached, follow up with the seller. Sometimes Investors get so busy that they may forget to update you on the status.

-Another thing is, if the Investor tries to go around you and cut you out the deal, then you can just follow up with the seller to find out what the status is. This is a rare situation, but it can happen this day and age. In this situation, you can let the Investor know that because he closed on the deal, he needs to pay you what was agreed to. If he ignores you, then simply move on. It would probably be less cost effective for you in the long run if you avoid courts, etc. NEVER DEAL WTH THAT INVESTOR AGAIN!! Yes, it is true that you lost out on a deal and the investor made money because of you, BUT with that said, they won't be making any more money off of you.

Ok Enough of the Negative side to this. Let's move on to the next step.


Step 6: When your Investor has the deal under contract, help him MARKET it. Many birddogs just rely on the Investor to market the deal and they just sit around waiting to get paid.

-Check this out, if you find a buyer for the property then you have basically coordinated the entire thing and you should get paid as soon as they close. I say should, because you know what we discussed in STEP 5.

- Another reason you want to find a buyer, is because some investors offer Double Bonuses!! They'll pay you for finding the the Property and finding the Buyer!!! Ask your Investor about that....They may do it, or they may not. Don't let it discourage you though.

- Not only can finding a buyer for your Investor make you money, but if you just happen to find another Investor who's interested in the deal, then you just found another Investor that you can BIRDDOG for.

- Now Occasionally you'll get people who will respond to your ad about your Investor's property and they want to see the property, or they just want to inquire about it. Then they decide it's not for them. So what do you do.....Forget about them, right? WRONG!!!!!! You keep their contact information and start building a Buyer's LIST. These are for those future properties that you'll be finding, that just may spark their interest!

Grow your list by MARKETING, MARKETING, MARKETING. Eventually when you move up to the investor stage, you'll have a Buyer's LIST of your own!! Make Sense???


STEP 7. GETTING PAID!!!!!

-Absolutely, this is the best part right? When your Investor Closes on the deal, you get PAID anywhere between $500 -$1000 per deal. If you find 5 deals a month that your Investor closes on, you could be making an extra $5000 a month that your investor. Sometimes you can even make more. It all depends on your investor. These are just average figures

-NOTE: You may have to wait 2-6 weeks to get paid. It all depends on the buyer. If they are a cash buyer, you should get paid within 2 weeks. If it's a buyer that is looking to close on a conventional loan or something, then you will be waiting a lot longer. But whether it is a cash buyer or a conventional buyer, you NEED TO FIND A BUYER PERIOD!! Income is Income no matter how you look at it. Patience is a Virtue!

- Set up a PayPal account, if you'd like. You'll get paid Instantly when Your Investor closes. Instead of having to wait for the mail. But hey, Income is income, right?




Well, that's all I can think of. I'm tired and I need to get to bed. I hope this will help you get started. Don't just be a BIRDDOG Forever. Start wholesaling yourself...Move up Quickly! You can Do it.
You'll find that the biggest struggle that everone has when getting started in Real Estate is themselves!!


Let me know if I missed anything.

Disclaimer: This is based on my personal opinion/experience. Proceed at your own risk!