“Finding Hope In Uncertain Times” – Barbara LeGrand Cockrell

There is a lot of uncertainty in life, whether in our personal affairs or in our changing and unsteady political climate. The strategies that most of us rely on to contend with such uncertainty tend to be self-defeating. When we face an uncertain future we often resort to feeling anxious, worrying, complaining, or being negative about events that may never occur.

But some people rise to meet uncertain times with hope and resilience. We need to develop such attitudes if we want to be successful in the face of life’s ups and downs.

What does having hope mean? Think of how you handle difficult situations. Do you offer platitudes like, “I hope everything will work out”? Unfortunately, this is just a way of disengaging or checking out of a difficult situation. True hope comes from a source much deeper, your core. At your core, there are vital qualities that help to determine how much hope you yourself feel, as well as what you can offer to others. Hope is an essential component in facing any type of uncertainty, from layoffs, to promotions, to moving, and to the current state of the world.

Hope’s Primary Qualities

• Strength – You draw from inner strength to tap into your personal powers.
• Resilience – You bounce back when faced with setbacks and obstacles.
• Optimism – You stay positive despite the challenges ahead of you.

The above qualities are the antithesis of pessimism, complaining, and worry. Rather than be self-defeatist, you can be strong, resilient, and optimistic, and in this way improve your self-esteem.

Hope is essential for handling a crisis but it can also serve as your core value on a daily basis. Uncertainty can arrive at any time, whether it appears in a personal issue, a business issue, a national event, or a global event. The situation doesn’t even necessarily need to be negative. It could be the uncertainty and excitement of starting your own business.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the qualities that were mentioned above.

Strength

Most of us are all too willing to give away our power. Yet, what could be a more hopeless situation than being without power? This can happen in both business and personal relationships. You can find yourself going along with something you disagree with simply because you don’t have the strength or power to speak up.  

Retaining power means that you can stand up for yourself, that you can overcome resistance, that you can turn a catastrophe into an opportunity. True strength is at the core of your being. It’s a quiet calm that isn’t disturbed by events or the turmoil of emotions.

Inner strength established self-power that will anchor, uplift, and encourage you.

Resilience

We often see the elderly celebrated in the media for reaching 100. They are always happy to share the secret to their long life. They all have different secrets, from a healthy diet to 3 glasses of red wine a week.

The truth is that they didn’t win the gene pool lottery, nor were they immune to the woes of life. They were resilient. They faced hard times and bounced back, shook defeat off at every turn. Being resilient is the true secret to avoiding victimhood.  

It isn’t about positive thinking. When we’re faced with sadness, it’s healthy to deal with sadness; when we lose a loved one, grief is natural.

Resilience and overcoming adversity comes from a strong sense of self.

Optimism

Society has taught us that life is difficult, that struggling is the norm. Society wants us to believe that the safest place for us is behind a wall. In this environment, optimism seems foolish and unrealistic. Yet, when we meet people who are truly optimistic, we are jealous of their cheerfulness. Attitudes of pessimism, skepticism, and cynicism come from fear and distrust. Life can take care of itself, that’s the attitude of optimism.

Finding hope in uncertain times is easier than you think, it’s within you.

In order to have a profitable and successful real estate investing business, it’s critical to have a consistent flow of motivated seller leads. Without those leads continually coming in, you might as well say you’re out of business.

We’re currently in a seller’s market, which means we cannot rely on simply making offers on bank-owned properties in the multiple listing service (MLS). In order to be a successful real estate investor in a seller’s market, you need to have a marketing plan and strategy that targets houses, not in the MLS (also known as off-market houses).

To do this, you can utilize traditional direct mail campaigns. I’ve been a full-time real estate investor since 2003, and I’ve discovered that many property owners haven’t seriously considered selling their property prior to receiving a strong direct mail marketing piece.

In this article, I’m covering the top seven lists of owners to target. I have targeted these exact lists over the years in my direct mail campaigns, and I let them know I’m interested in buying their property.

No. 1: Out-of-State Owners

I’ve previously tested mailing to in-state and out-of-state absentee owners and found the out-of-state owners convert into sellers easier than in-state. Since these owners live in a different state, they are much more likely to be motivated sellers.

No. 2: Vacant Houses

Vacant houses are some of the most profitable deals. Houses that no one is actively living in, especially houses with a mortgage, deplete the owner’s cash flow. By targeting vacant houses, you may also be able to locate a tired landlord who no longer wants to deal with tenants and toilets.

No. 3: Preforeclosures (Pre-NODs)

Also known as a Pre-Notice of Default (NOD), a pre-foreclosure is when the owners of a property are behind on their mortgage payments, but the foreclosure process has not yet been started by the lender. These people are perfect candidates for using the strategy of buying subject to the existing mortgage or “buying on a wrap.” Buying subject-to means you don’t have to use private money to buy the house.

No. 4: Free and Clear

Owners who are “free and clear” do not have a mortgage on their home. They own the property and are free of debt on that property. These are good candidates for buying with seller financing. This is when the owner of the property sells you their house on terms, where they have a promissory note and you pay them monthly payments. Typically, these sellers will agree to take payments without charging interest. Surprisingly, 34% of houses in the United States are free and clear.

No. 5: Expired Listings

These are properties that have been in the MLS and the listing either expired or was canceled. Owners with expired listings can be well-motivated sellers because they have tried to sell their property in the MLS without success. When a property has been on the market for a while, the seller’s motivation level is normally very high.

Your Realtor would be happy to provide you with a list of expired MLS listings, as long as they do not consistently also mail to properties on that list.

No. 6: Probates

Probates are properties owned by heirs of an estate. A large percentage of heirs can be motivated to sell, particularly when the property needs repairs and the heirs do not want to spend money on the property, nor to continue to pay carrying costs.

No. 7: Code Violations

County or city code violations can range from lack of upkeep on a property, such as the grass not being cut, to homes needing extensive repairs. Some properties with code violations may even be condemned by the county or the city as not habitable. Properties with code violations filed against them are a matter of public record.

Where Do I Get These Lists?

By now, you might be wondering where to get these different lists. Well, I have good news for you: I have a good friend who is in the business of providing current, high-quality lists. The only list she cannot provide is expired MLS listings. Her name is Christy King and she can be reached by emailing Christy@yellowletterlady.com.

If your next question is, “When I get these lists, what do I mail to these people?” I have even more good news for you. Christy can provide you with the lists you’re looking for and exactly what to mail to get a high response. I will warn you: Don’t put your personal cell phone number as your contact number in your mailer — use a 24/7 live-operator answering service. Christy will also be able to advise you on what answering service you should use.

Don’t sleep on direct mail marketing. It’s a seller’s market and us real estate investors need to be creative with our marketing if we want to consistently find great deals. Use these seven lists and watch your real estate investing business flourish.