| Around the beginning of 1997 I came across a book | | | | labels on the computer for each one. Keep in mind that |
| by Dodge Woodson called Rehabbing Your Way to | | | | I was mailing to the property owner's address, not |
| Riches. It was written in 1992 and most of the contents | | | | necessarily the actual property itself. In any large city |
| were the usual stuff I'd read before. Fortunately for | | | | there are thousands of properties that are owned by |
| me, I like to read almost anything about real estate | | | | non-owner occupants. |
| because I know that just one idea can make a huge | | | | I would then affix a label to a #10 envelope along with |
| difference. | | | | my return address, stamp it, and place inside a simple |
| I might have read this somewhere else in the past, but | | | | one page letter stating that I buy property in that area |
| there was one section of his book that leapt out at | | | | & if they are thinking of selling to contact me. |
| me. It was a chapter on locating good deals. One of | | | | After a trip to the post office with about 4 grocery |
| the marketing tools he discussed would become my | | | | bags filled with letters, I would fill the outgoing mail slot |
| staple for the next several years. It would allow me to | | | | to the brim. |
| amass millions in real estate. In fact, almost every | | | | I knew there were direct mail companies that could do |
| property I purchased from now on would be the result | | | | all of this for me, but at the time I couldn't afford their |
| of direct mail. | | | | services. Just because I couldn't afford to have |
| I decided to roam around a couple of key areas in | | | | someone else do it, did that stop me? My only cost |
| Baltimore that I thought would become good long term | | | | outside of postage and a box of paper & |
| values. After focusing on two neighborhoods, I drove | | | | envelopes was my time late at night. What are you |
| up and down a couple of the streets and wrote down | | | | willing to do to succeed? |
| the addresses (first address on block & last | | | | You might be wondering why someone would call a |
| address on block). I then went home and connected | | | | stranger if they're looking to sell their property. Why |
| online to the Maryland Department for Tax | | | | wouldn't they list it with a broker, put an ad in the paper, |
| Assessment. This gave me free access to a | | | | or put a sign on the property instead? |
| database of every property in the state. From there I | | | | Good question, but there are a lot of answers. Some |
| would enter the street name and scroll through page | | | | properties have problems that drive away other |
| after page of individual addresses. Each time I found | | | | buyers. Sometimes there's not enough equity to afford |
| one I wanted I would have to bring it up separately and | | | | a brokers commission. I know it's hard to believe in |
| print that page. I would do this bleary eyed into the | | | | 2007, but it wasn't very long ago that property owners |
| night. | | | | were desperate to get rid of their property. This is an |
| After accumulating a couple of hundred pages, each | | | | easy way to get motivated seller's to call you and |
| with a property owner's address, I would create mailing | | | | believe me, it works! |