@Mary M. I can see this is a very sore spot for you and I agree there are some unscrupulous wholesalers out there. However, if a property is in horrible shape it is by nature worth considerably less than its after repair value. Moreover, every homeowner is aware of the option to list their property with a real estate agent. But there are very strong reasons why they don't and that should be examined, as well.
For example, I just sold my home to Opendoor. I could have profited a few thousand $ more had I listed my property, but I appreciated the *ease* and *convenience* of dealing with an investor. Sure, there was a fee and repair costs, but I loved being in control of the timing of the closing, I loved not having people come in and out of my home, and I was able to complete much of the transaction on my mobile phone.
Let's be honest, there are also some real estate agents who don't deserve their commissions. They are those who simply sit back and do very little to market your property. They don't seem to recognize the changing RE landscape and they don't use technology, video and social media marketing to sell homes more quickly. The 30-60 day traditional sales cycle of lackluster performance seems A-OK for those agents. But no matter what level of effort they put forth, they receive the 3-6% commission. Personally, that offends me much more than an ethical wholesaler or flipper buying from me at a discount and making my life a lot easier.
