That is the best and worst thing about the internet - everyone has a voice. 

If I were you, I would record a voice mail greeting indicating that "if you are calling about property x, I am no longer interested in selling it / I already have an agent, etc."  

Here's a fairly detailed academic paper on the subject:http://www.reri.org/research/article_pdf/wp171.pdfThe abstract kinda sums it up nicely -- in short, outperformance is all about timing and leverage:"Results demonstrate that while value-added and opportunistic private equity real estate investments have higher returns than core investments, their superior returns are driven by beleaguered market conditions as well as by the use of cheap debt."

Economists and other academics have argued about this issue for many years and will continue to do so until we are all dead.All options have pros and cons for both the professional and the client.

I want to point out. title company could give a rip about if its legal or not.. vis a vi do you need a license. same with mortgage companies. only voice of authority here is the state department of real estate..  

I also work TTU and about finished writing my first book on the academic achievement gap.

Or you can also get a google voice number as well.

We use a service called Phone.com that let's us create unlimited phone numbers and voice mail boxes for one (low) monthly fee.

I'm actually looking at purchasing some land and building a smaller house for myself and renting out the whole place either in the fall or spring for the next academic year. 

Bring treats, let them hear your voice when you throw them over the fence, so that they'll start associating good things with you.