All Forum Posts by: Phil B.

I created my own font too and use a small graphic for the return address on the flap to make it look more like a wedding invitation.  I really don't think the same letters together are going to ruin the presentation or decrease your return enough to warrant spending hours of brain power on it.  There comes a point where you just have to go with what you have.  They can always be better and we'll never get them perfect.  

I did that to find investors.  I spent about $250 and got about 225 people to "like" my investor page and of them about 60 actually visited my site and filled in my investor form.

You can create your own handwriting font here. http://www.paintfont.com

My setup includes:

I bought a used Pitney Bowes W700 envelope printer used for $400. It prints from word with the correct driver and prints 3000+ envelopes per hour.

I also bought an HP Officejet Pro X551dw. It prints up to 7000 pages per hour for the letters. $420 online.

Next, I went and bought a postage permit for discounted rates.

I use A6 envelopes and yellow pads I buy from Quill.com then take them to kinks to cut the binding off. You get perfect sheets of 20 pound, wide ruled yellow paper. http://www.quill.com/ampad-gold-fibre-premium-ruled-pads/cbs/045686.html?promoCode=200200555&Effort_Code=901&Find_Number=20032Q&cm_sp=

This is my personal handwriting font I created with paintfont.com. It's not perfect but looks good enough I think. I have a red ink cartridge I use for the mailers normally.

I probably should have asked this question before spending a few thousand dollars creating my own yellow letter workstation but I am curious what your numbers are like and if there is a formula, even if its loosely calculated, like:

5000 mailers = 150 phone calls = 20 good leads = 5 contracts = 1 done deal.

Does anyone have some stats about the mailers? I have a 3000 piece mailer going out soon and am curious what to expect. Is 3000 enough to absentee owners? 5000? 10,000?

I've sent a few very small 150 and 300 piece mailings out as a test and only got about 9 or 10 calls although one was hopeful. It didn't work out but it seemd to be a decent lead. This will be my first large mailing since setting up the stand alone station. I'm still waiting for the envelope printer to arrive. Do you guys have any numbers? I'm trying to figure out how much money and the number of mailers it will take (approximately) to get one deal in the can. I understand markets and mail pieces are not all created equal. I'm just looking for some ballparks.

Thanks.

Phil

I use these A6 envelopes. I buy them 3000 at a time and get a discount. You have to call them though. They are a little more expensive but nice and thick and really classy looking.

http://www.paperpresentation.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PPN&Product_Code=E_SDA6139&Category_Code=ALL_A6

I use PatLive - www.patlive.com. So far, so good. They do exactly as told when asnwering the phones.

This is mine:

Hi Alan,

My name is Phil. I am a real estate investor and I would like to $$ BUY $$

your house at *****************a Dr.

Please call me at (813)*************

I can make you a cash offer and can close

FAST – in less than 30 days!

You can always say“no” to my offer and

there is no obligation. Please

give me a call to discuss.

Thanks!

-Phil 813-*****************

Brandon, thanks for the info. I'll get with Chris Monday to discuss.

Wayne, others, so in order to not relinquish the assignment fee, I can do a double wet close (sounds kinda kinky, lol)? In that case, I am buying and actually OWNING the property, even if its only for a minute. I am merely buying it at one price and selling it at another - Im NOT assigning it in this case, right?

The other option is a straight assignment. I get a contract, find a buyer, sign an assignment contract, expose to basically everyone involved how much Im making on the property and its a done deal. Is this all correct?

On the assignment deals, when do you guys get paid, in advance at the time the contract is assigned or at closing? If at closing, how does that work?

Thanks everyone! You guys are awesome!

Hi Guys n Gals,

Are double closings actually illegal in Florida as its been told to me by about a half dozen title companies? With each title company I spoke with, no one could cite any particular law that said they were illegal but they all said they couldn't do double closings. They all just seemed disinterested in doing them and blew me off.

I'm in the final stages of setting up my wholesaling business and I'm looking for a good title company. Anyone have any recommendations in or around Tampa on who to use for wholesaling/assignment closings?

If you know of a great title company in Tampa for wholesaling and would like to share, I would be most grateful.

Thanks guys.

I will admit I did sit on the local guru's webinar last week. I take all that stuff with a grain of salt. I've been around the block a few times and have bought a few personal homes over the years. However, the local guru made a few good points but even with that (mostly scare tactics if you ask me), I don't think Wall Street will influence this type of business as much as he is trying to lead us to believe. I'm also an ex-stockbroker and trader. I have a pretty good grasp of how Wall St. and hedgefunds work. Wall St. might WANT to participate but its not very reasonable. The amount of money they supposedly seek to inject into wholesaling would take thousands and thousands of individuals doing one deal at a time. I don't think it is very realistic. This niche (and supply) is just not large enough for Wall St. who has to do everything on a grand scale due to the amount of money involved.

I asked what I did above not because the local guru planted thoughts in my head, rather, its something I've been meaning to ask for a while as I start setting up my business.

There are so many books out there that make this seem like a get rich quick scheme but my experience tells me otherwise and I wanted to hear from people who are actually doing it.

From the outside looking in, it appears there are two distinct types of wholesalers: 1. The perpetual amateur who makes a few bucks here and there and puts in a less-than-full-time effort. 2. The professional who really treats his or her business as a business and understands it takes money, time and commitment. Ned - I agree with your analysis about competition.

I'm planning on a real business. I've already invested a few thousand dollars on signs and leads and some marketing materials. Before I "go big" so to speak I wanted to hear from others who really work a system in a strategic, full time effort.

Thanks in advance for your replies. Its nice to know there are folks still doing this and making money for the effort.

If there are others in and around Tampa who would like to partner/share/exchange/anything, I am completely open to making new connections and meeting others in the industry - PM me.

Thanks for the input so far.