All Forum Posts by: Robert Parker

Hello I have been contemplating the real estate business for much longer than I would like to admit (all you have to do is look at my profile to see what I mean)

Well I just got this job as a field inspector in Houston. Basically I drive around and take pics of properties on behalf of mortgage companies for a living. Some of these properties I actually have access to lock boxes and have to go inside to get pictures. usually these are the old foreclosures that are just sitting there. 

While I drive around I see many distressed/abandoned properties and make notes of them. Also several of the properties that I have access to are in pretty good shape. Most of them are bank owned but not up for auction or on the market or anything. 

I guess what I'm saying is I have sort of become what I think is a bird dog due to my job. The thing is I don't know any real estate investors in the area I could show the properties I have to. 

I would appreciate the opportunity to work with some buyers in Houston who are familiar with these type of bank owned properties and other absentee owned and abandoned properties. Maybe we can develop a strategy for our success as a team. I get these properties on a regular basis and just want to make something happen. With a good coach I know I can be an asset on someone's team. 

Hopefully I am not breaking any forum rules or anything by posting this here. If I am I will move the discussion to wherever it should go.

Thanks in advance!

Thanks to the both of you! Your input was much appreciated

Hello everyone,

I would really appreciate any help in regard to open vs closed probate. I'm here in Houston, TX and I gathered about 30 or so viable contacts. But I notice the probate cases were closed. These cases I'm looking at are from late 2012. The more recent ones are open.

1) What is the difference between open and closed probate cases in regard to wholesaling?

2) Can I close a deal with a property in an open probate case or

3) Do they have to close the case before I can work with them?

4) Am I looking too far back in time for probate leads?

Thanks in advance for any help! 

Hello everyone, 

I would really appreciate any help in regard to open vs closed probate. I'm here in Houston, TX and I gathered about 30 or so viable contacts. But I notice the probate cases were closed. These cases I'm looking at are from late 2012. The more recent ones are open. 

1) What is the difference between open and closed probate cases in regard to wholesaling? 

2) Can I close a deal with a property in an open probate case or 

3) Do they have to close the case before I can work with them? 

4) Am I looking too far back in time for probate leads? 

Thanks in advance for any help! 

thanks for the quick reply. I just have one more question:

Lets say I go and do the inspection and find out I have to reduce the contract price. Now the seller agreed to that clause and signed the contract but does not want to accept my ammended price. 

This means the deal is off right? They can't Sue me or anything right? Because I'm just imagining a pissed off seller threatening to take me to court but since I have this clause in the contract and they signed, I can walk away clean right? 

Hello, I am a new investor and am starting out wholesaling. I have a question about the wholesaling process, mainly around the "making an offer" phase. 

To be more specific, am I on the right track? 

1) find property

2) get company on MLS

3) contact seller

4) *here is where I am confused* make an offer that us contingent upon repairs. Get them to sign the contract with the dollar offer and repair clause (this clause states that the offer price may change depending on the repairs needed). 

5) get key to house to go and assess repairs

6) send them contract price addendum to have them sign

7) finish up all that other stuff

Does this make sense? 

could someone with wholesaling experience tell me step by step what they did around the offer phase? 

Thanks, 

Robert 

I am a new investor hoping to start wholesaling out in the Houston market soon. Our county's probate list is available online at the harris county clerk website. This is what I see when I look at the lead:

-Attorney name, phone, and address

-Administrator name and address (no phone)

-Decedent name (no address)

I look at the Tax Accessor info and usually I'm able to find the decedent address. My problem is sometimes the administrator address is the same as the decedent address (I would say about half the time this is the case).

Here are my questions:

1) Does this mean the administrator lives in the same house as the decedent? Of course the last names are all the same, so I am wondering if this is a spouse or a child. If there is a surviving spouse, does the list even go to probate?

2) If the administrator lives in the same house as the decedent, is there any reason to try and contact the attorney and make a deal?

3) If the administrator does not live there, how can I find out who lives where?

4) How can I find the administrator phone number so I can contact them directly?

5) These probate leads are in all different stages of the probate process. If the lead has an administrator name, can I be safe to assume I can make a wholesale deal and close? Like once they show up on the probate list, are they good to go? 

I have been studying for the better part of the last 2 months literally 6-8 hours a day. I have a title company, a few buyers (who don't know much about probate) and a marketing plan in place within my budget. I'm hoping to get some help from you all so I can get ready to pull the trigger Monday morning.

I sincerely appreciate any help y'all can offer me and apply belated thanksgiving!