Justin B. McClelland

Well, it’s the end of 30 days and I didn’t come through on the 30 day challenge.  I found a wholesaler with quite a few properties to offer, one being in an ideal area.  His deal was an approved short-sale that he was approved for.  I marketed the mess out of that house.  I blasted CraigsList and put out signs about it.  I lost count of how many buyers I sent over to view the house.  I think it was around 7.  But there were much more that I spoke with and emailed, hell I’m still getting calls about that place.  Oh well, I’ll keep them on file for the next house.

Last weeks goals:

• Create a local STL roster of 20 wholesaler/investors
• Find at least 3 good wholesale deals to advertise
• Hire sign distributor for both Champaign and STL
• Kick the ass of the person who flags my CriagsList ads
• Make at least 10 offers each day (REO, MLS, FSBO, etc)

Results: I was able to get the wholesaler roster done. The wholesale deals that I did find, were very marginal (other wholesaler only had 2K spread to split on each property), I changed my mind about STL sign distributor and placed the signs myself last weekend, still looking to kick some CraigsList flagger ass, and this 10 offer a day thing is really killing me, gotta find a way to reach this goal.  It seems like I either spend too much time analyzing each deal, or I don’t spend much time at all and make offers way too low (to be safe). Catch 22

On another front, I have an official (in addition to the unofficial) mentor now.  Lawrence Roberts of LocalREICoaching.com (site under-construction at time of this writing), is helping me out quite a bit.  Just after two (phone) sessions with him, I’ve now restored my belief that there is a science to this business.  I consider myself more right-brained than left, however if you give me some numbers, statistics, and formulae…I can figure things out much more so than an art.  So the majority of next weeks’ tasks are the assigned tasks that Lawrence gave me:

• Create a spreadsheet reflecting the past 6-month cash-solds of select zip codes
• Create a spreadsheet containing the information of buyers of probate properties
• Turn-up marketing efforts to obtain at least 25 leads/week, create marketing plan
• Increase prospecting on CraigsList (buyer and seller)
• Look into acquiring international buyers
• Research wholesaling lease-options
• Make at least 10 offers each day (REO, MLS, FSBO, etc)
• Find at least 3 good wholesale deals to advertise

So as you see, I have a lot of work to do.  I have to admit, I’m bummed that I’m not meeting my 30-day challenge goal.  I thought I had that in the bag.  Every time something unravels in this real estate game, I feel like an athlete that didn’t qualify for the Olympics…or like a U.S. w0rld cup soccer player feels right about now….like, “Damn, all of that work and I didn’t make it. There’s 4 long years ahead before another chance”.  That is seriously how I feel, minus the 4 year part.  This is why Lawrence is spot-on with suggesting I get my lead count up.  I have to keep in mind that this is a numbers’ game.

P.S.
I’m on a million email lists and one of the guys I receive emails from is Preston Ely.  In his email messages, he’s selling something, promoting a conference-call, or just plain dropping knowledge.  One tidbit that I’ve learned from his random/frequent emails, is to completely focus on the positive of a situation and to block the negative.  Sounds so simple…but works so effectively.  Despite me whining a bit about my 30-day challenge failure, I don’t dwell on it.  There is other stuff going on right now, that I won’t even blog about as it is negative.  All stuff, that I’m doing a pretty good job at blocking out right now.  Anyway, you should try this “mental blocking” technique in the future.  Like, if you know someone leaves you a voicemail while pissed-off, don’t even listen to the entire message (that is unless you’re going to share it on WTF Wednesday with everyone).

P.P.S.
FCUK is a great brand (French Connection United Kingdom)

Accountability, Marketing, offers accountability monday, mentor, offers

Almost one week left in the month and I still have my 30-day challenge in my sights.  I’m very close to meeting it, that’s all I’ll say for now.  It seems like I’m a damn magnet for failed closings right now, so I’d rather not type any further in vain.

Anyway, in follow-up to “Accountability Monday”, I’ve accomplished most all of my tasks.  I put in 4 REO offers, I put in approximately 30 offers, I’ve created my outline for my internet marketing endeavors, I created my STL squeeze page (just need to make it pretty and mesh it with Aweber), and I found someone to place my bandit signs for me in Champaign…but after one weekend they quit.  So I’m back to square one with that task.  I’m taking a completely different approach to recruitment this time, I’ll post later about the outcome.  So, in conclusion, I half-ass met my accountability goals to be completely honest.  Perhaps, if I met them all, then that means they aren’t high enough?  Is that just a psychological trick?  Oh well…I’m going to adopt and roll with it.

So for next week, my goals are:

Create a local STL roster of 20 wholesaler/investors

• Find at least 3 good wholesale deals to advertise
• Hire sign distributor for both Champaign and STL
• Kick the ass of the person who flags my CriagsList ads
• Make at least 10 offers each day (REO, MLS, FSBO, etc)

That should keep me more than busy for the next week.

Accountability, Real Estate, offers accountability monday, AWeber Communications, For sale by owner

I’ve got a lot done since last week. The big thing was that I sent of the “short-sale” packages to the DHFS, the city of Champaign, and the Urbana-Champaign Sewage department.  I emailed the packages and sent tangible copies of everything via USPS as well.  I spent a good amount of time preparing all of the docs sent and crafting a custom letter explaining my intentions and why it’s best for their liens to be reduced.

I know it’s Tuesday but I got an update regarding Accountability Monday.  I literally fell asleep yesterday in the middle of things with my laptop in lap (typical).  So I’ll call this Accountability Tuesday.

1. Submit a total of 40 offers on properties. FAIL

I’ve been failing to meet my goals for the past few weeks.  And in regards to the 40 offers, I just realized how many offers that is!  Damn, that’s a lot.  But I know this is what it will take.  The bad news is that I failed to meet that goal.  The good news is that I did at least get 5 offers out.  But this failure won’t happen again because I spent the greater part of Sunday tweaking my system (“work smarter” is the motto) that will allow me to spit out offers in a rapid fashion.  So for the last-time, I’m going to leave that as the goal for next Monday.  Actually scratch that, the new goal is to make more than 40 offers by next Monday!  I guarantee a PASS next to that item next week.

I’m starting to operate like a ROBOT now, I’m getting my processes ironed out and systems in place.  The snowball effect shall begin.

- Peace Out

Real Estate accountability monday, systems

Another Monday is here and I’m just going to make a brief check-in. My targets set on last Monday was to:

1. Make at least 10 offers on properties listed on MLS FAIL
2. Distribute my new door hangers with brochures to select Urbana neighborhoods PASS
3. Put something together for a CraigsList nationwide cash-buyer campaign PASS

I’m actually in the process of choosing the MLS properties as I type.  The door-hangers where put out and out of 200, I haven’t received a lead yet, which is surprising.  And for CraigsList, I’m changing my approach a bit.  It seems that my commercial looking ads and even some of my more aggressively worded ads get flagged almost immediately.  I’m going to try out a text-only ad that specifies that I’m looking for cash-buyers in the area, plain and simple, short and to the point.  We’ll see how this does locally and then I’ll have to go national with CraigsList.  I would still love to invest in an Auto-Poster software for CraigsList, any suggestions?

So goals for next week:
1. Submit a total of 20 offers on MLS properties
2. Submit an offer on at least one REO property
3. Make at least one offer on a FSBO

I’m going into hyper offer-making mode.  I need to secure beaucoup properties in the upcoming weeks.  Because I want many closings in the first quarter of the new year.  I’m to the point now where I feel I have pretty much everything in place that I need.  I have effective advertising methods, I get plenty leads, and I’m acquiring more buyers daily.  So once I have mo properties and mo buyers, I’ll have mo money and I could do without the mo problems.

- Peace Out

Real Estate accountability monday, Multiple Listing Service

Over the long Thanksgiving holiday, I didn’t get as much done as I had planned.  I took alot of work home with me to Saint Louis, but most of it stayed in my bag.  I don’t know who I’m fooling when I do that.  Most of my time was spent with the family and catching up with friends.  I’ll admit, I had too much fun, I should’ve got more work done, but I live life to the fullest even with my brokeness…but now I’m back to the grind.

I spoke with the High-Tension line lady today and said that I would like to revisit negotiations about her property.  I communicated that the power lines in her back yard are a hindrance and frowned upon by conventional lenders.  I told her that despite my cash offer, the lending would be an issue when selling to a retail buyer down the road.  Just the simple fact that there are power lines in the backyard drops the value of the property by about 10K.  I was as courteous as I could be on the phone call.  However, when I mentioned the issue, the lady responded that the high-tension lines shouldn’t be an issue and if they are, then “a request could be made to the the power company to move them”. WTF!  I think this lady is trying to play the “naive old lady role”, I’m not buying it.  She’s gotta know that a power company isn’t just going to move a big-ass tower just cuz.  Oh well.  I told her I’d get back to her in 48 hours…I’ll let that one marinate and decide what to do later.  Most likely I’ll pass on it…but this one is sooo close…if I can get her to drop by 10K I’d have three buyers that are ‘really’ interested.

It looks like I’ll have to man-up and take some of my planned outsourcing activities in-house.  I’ve concluded that so far the virtual assistants I’ve screened are either flakes or priced out of my budget ($20 an hour…seriously lady?…how does a VA request this much pay?).  So I’d rather pay top dollar for a great assistant than to pay a little bit for a lame one.

On the way to Saint Louis, I got a damn speeding ticket.  82 in a 65.  Crazy thing is I was keeping up with traffic…ok not really.  Just one of those times that you zone out in thought and next thing you know you’re doing 90.  That’s happened so many times, I’m not too mad about this ticket.  Haven’t had one in over 5 years.  I usually pay a lawyer to do what they do, so I can avoid the points on my driving record.  But, if I can find some estimates on how much my insurance will increase by and add that up to compare against the lawyer fees, I may decide just to take the points.  It’s been so long, I don’t remember how substantial the insurance hike would be.  Anybody out there know?  So I mention all of this because, as I sat there I was thinking about how the ticket & lawyer fees would take away from my damn Marketing Budget.  It seems like every expense nowadays intrudes on my marketing budget.  Need an oil change…marketing budget deduction…need milk…another marketing budget deduction.  Oh well.

So with this marketing budget deduction, I won’t be buying the CL Bot Pro software anytime soon (I may have to wait until a few freelance web project checks come in).

So in the mean-time, the show must go on.  And “Accountability Mondays” are back.  Here is what I’m going to accomplish in the next week.

Tasks:
1. Make at least 10 offers on properties listed on MLS
2. Brush up on REO literature so I can start making REO offers too
3. Distribute my new door hangers with brochures to select Urbana neighborhoods
4. Find more cash-buyers (section 8 landlords, find past cash buyers in MLS, members of Central Illinois Apartment Association)
5. Put something together for a CraigsList nationwide cash-buyer campaign

This is a short list, but it should keep me busy.

- Peace Out

Marketing, Real Estate accountability monday, Central Illinois, CraigsList, Holidays, St. Louis Missouri, Thanksgiving, Traffic ticket