We do a datedown the day before the sale to make sure no one filed BK or other stall tactic but in general, if our sale is at 1:00 and someone gets a postponement for some reason prior to that 1:00 start time, we would have to postpone or unwind any sale that may have occurred.

I think it's a cheesy tactic and haven't done it recently, but it's always an option.

This is where most of my business is done.Bandit Signs - affordable guerilla marketing tactic but garners a lot of calls from tire kickers, retail buyers with unrealistic ideas, etc.Newspaper ads - I was running a penny saver ad a while back and it started to get very costly because I was told I cant test an ad for 2 weeks.

Remember as an investor it is not the VOLUME and size of the deals you put together because many can be crap it is the QUALITY of the deals you do.I would rather spend a few months doing an awesome acquisition than buying up marginal to okay deals left and right.I have seen this happen on flips and long term holds.In both cases the investor did real well on one property and then started getting carried away.Pretty soon a couple of marginal deals starting to tank their long term portfolio into a neutral or negative position.Even on flips they made good on a few and then the next few went real bad and they were almost at square one again.You have to treat this business like a pawn shop.You will come across many sellers but few will accept your price and terms.So you have to keep going or come back to the seller until they get desperate enough to meet your terms.A classic tactic with a seller is when they will not accept your price and terms.Then a few months pass and they come back to you.Then if you have a couple deals on your plate you come from a position of power.You let them know you are involved with other projects now and to take this property on now you couldn't pay what you offered before and can now only do XX.There will always be another quality deal to be had but millions of marginal to okay deals to get stuck in for years and paralyze the growth and success of your real estate investment portfolio.

All of these tactics may get additional time for the borrower but not cancel or halt the process in any substantial manner.Further, as stated above.

All of this stems from the lender trying to avoid their own liability on the property and serves as a good layer of protection for you.As a tactic you can always ask when the borrower is moving out and don't close if they have property in the home.

:mrgreen: I've heard of the "remove the front door" tactic, too.

I don’t know who in the world is in charge over there, but this sell sell sell tactic is killing their business (in my opinion).There was lots of talk of trying to help the little guys achieve bigger goals, but it comes across as unbelievable.

Scoping out neighborhoods is a survival tactic for me.Physical signs that I look for -* Dumpsters* Contractors coming and going* Elimination of poverty industry (Check cashing places, title pawns, pawn shops) in favor of more bohemian establishments (Coffee shops, box stores, cafes, etc.)* Clean-up and neighborhoods taking care of themselves.

On a tactical note, go into the call knowing about what you would pay if the property is in fair condition and practice saying those number out loud confidently (IE "Based on the information on the property I would offer 230,000 for it and cover all out of pocket expenses related to the sale.")