Another common problem is poor due diligence—jumping into deals without verifying the borrower or collateral often leads to future regrets.I’ve also seen over-leveraged borrowers cause trouble, prioritizing other creditors over private lenders.

Texas law has certain requirements, as I'd assume most all states do.Do you have any links to the type of locks you have used for the front door, back door and door leading to the garage?

I think you’re under a misconception that’s leading you to think you have options you don’t…You say it’s worth $1.1M and you’d net $500k.

Let them do the follow up and paperwork and maybe lead cleanup, but you do the dialing and talking yourself for much better results.

I have made my own list of leads as well with some properties that I find vacant, probate, tax lien. but have only helped an out of state realtor on a deal a yr ago. and 2025 I would like to have the right people to go to with questions and or properties when I talk/find home owners that are willing to get rid of the property as well. 

We are frequent users of the Rental Property Calculator and have found a few promising leads thus far but also know that is just the beginning of the process.

It may be helpful:I can give you some general info on insuring the property:Here are some things to look for from an Insurance prospective:1.Any in-ground tanks (active or inactive)2.Any Knob & Tube or Aluminum Wiring3.If built before 1978, does the building have Lead Safe certifications4.Any wood stoves or secondary heating units.

I've tried a couple - truepeoplesearch, white-ages, property radar, leadsherpa, batch leads...Some services are better than others, but it is a numbers game and you also can cross check between different platforms.

The tax advantages of buying/holding gas stations are pretty great.Many of the components of gas stations including pumps, tanks, external parking areas, and other equipment are classified as either 5 or 15 year property so you can bonus depreciate a lot of it (minus the land value) and get significant deductions in year 1.With the 2025 bonus depreciation rate at 40%, a $1 million gas station acquisition could still lead to $100K+ in year 1 deductions depending on the specifics of your deal.

What worked for me was focusing on building strategic relationships with top tier people (quality partners) who could complement what I brought to the table—sales, management, and execution.When you are approaching sellers for creative financing, leading with a clear value proposition (and CONFIDENTLY) is key.