We toyed with doing short sales but with the glut on the market here, we decided to go direct with the lenders in the REO market.

I had a business importing pocketbikes from Italy (before they were the junky toys you see today) Now I am a housewife (VERY strange for me if you knew my background) working on getting my RE career going.

I am a small time investor who has invested in the past and almost lost my shirt...I was lucky enough to sell both my investment properties before the crash.Through this site I have acquired more free knowledge than knowledge I have paid for.I am looking at triing to buy at auction and will soon ramp up my marketing after I sell some toys I recently purchased at an estate sale.I am here for the long haul and am interested in triing to link up with a hard money lender in massachusetts that lends to someone buying at auction.I have seen some successful short sales here in the state and have seen some folks triing to charge astronomical assignment fees for wholesale properties.Let me know if your in Mass, i'm alwys looking to talk real estate.

I've been toying with the idea of investing back there.

For example: if a group tells you they plan on raising rents from X to Y because the market supports that, call some competitors and ask how much they rent their apartments for. 

So he gives me this 1/2 hour sales pitch , and wraps it up with a quote of $ 3500 to line my tub with a plastic liner , " And we can be done in less than 4 hours"   Told the guy he was nuts , we are done , leave . then i had a guy reglaze the tub for $ 350 and it is just in the last year showing signs of wear  after 2 boys 9 and 12  played with toys in that tub for 10 years .for  $ 3500 i would have gutted the entire bathroom tub, toilet  , vanity , floor and walls and went all new .

My wife used it as a bid doll house since she has a new toy to decorate.

But, picking up trash or removing toys from the yard were approved......just an idea you might consider and use if you like.

Even if it means surrendering toys you are making payments on.

Pass on toys on credit ex.