All Forum Posts by: Paul Winka

@Sean OToole

Good suggestions, thanks. 

Now that I think about it, my approach would be to ask that homeowner if he knew anyone that was considering selling their house on the same street, or just asking about a house within eyesight. That might just segue into talking about selling his own house. 

Just like the breakings eggs / omelette analogy, the saying in real estate should be that become successful, you must be willing to have a few doors slammed in your face. :) 

@Sean OToole

The @ feature sometimes doesn't work, so adding this so it pings you. :)

Sean, what have you found is the most effective script to lead in to talking to a homeowner when you knock on their door to inquire? 

Nice trivia on what a seed is, Andrew.

I have a question about "equity" and mailing lists. Can you help me understand how mailing list providers know the amount of equity a property owner has? Is it just an algorithm that makes an educated guess based upon the mortgage amortization period, origination date, and purchase price? What else can you say about it? Thanks. 

@Peter Kim

I recommend taking the course that is in residence and not online. The reason to go in residence is that there tends to be a bond formed between you and the other to-be agents in the course. Quite likely you will keep in touch with a few of them. That can be a great way to get involved with other new agents straight away and kickstart your REI adventures.

If you go the online route, you are just ticking the box for the initial education requirement and will forego these opportunities. I found the courses really easy. Dress well for the class and enjoy it. 

@Marshall M.

Others may disagree, but having a GC inspect your home is probably not a good idea since they'll likely be doing the work for you and may try to steer you toward extra work. 

I was considering buying a house near the Huntington metro station back in 2008. The inspector I used was Troy Hendrickson. He did good by me. I accompanied him on the inspection and learned a few things. Looks like he is still active. http://www.apromasterinspector.com/troy_hendrickso...

@Peter Kim

The Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is where on-market properties are listed for sale that has reliable way of keeping track of data, like days on market, initial price, price drops, etc. Other than that, it's mostly all scrambled, such as what you can find on Craigslist.

To see the MLS firsthand, you would have to get a real estate license and then pay the local company that operates the MLS the fee to access it, probably around $3K for the first year (one year of fees, some of them one-time, some recurring) to do all that. Or you could have a real estate agent get the data for you, but you might quickly become a thorn in his/her side if you are a detail-oriented type-A person to ask about the intricacies of different properties. IMHO, if you are in this for the long haul, pony up the $$$ and get a real estate license and get access to the MLS. It's not just about having the license and MLS access, but also faster rate you'll make valuable contacts to make doing business easier.

@Amiee Baker

If you're an agent, couldn't you just use your broker's office address? 

Andrew, could you elaborate on this a bit? I take it you have hired a VA before. Like, what is the going rate, how to vet the VA, how to reduce turnover. etc. And what do you mean by "wholesale" websites?

 Is "seed" an industry term for a piece of mail sent as a test?