Since many of you have just signed up to start receiving my weekly messages on Probate Real Estate, I thought I would mention two issues that are frequently asked of me.

Number one is where to mail your letters.

As I describe in my system, I have come up with four simple steps that you need follow.

• Find the name of the deceased
• Determine if they owned real property
• Locate the name and address of the Personal Representative
• Mail the letter I give you in my course to the PR

As many of you know, sometimes you cannot locate the address of the PR, just the address of the attorney handling the filing.

Here’s my suggestion. Mail to the PR at the deceased address. My thinking is the PR will either be having the mail forwarded or will be personally picking it up at the deceased’s home. Either way, mission accomplished. The PR gets the letter.

The second question concerns existing liens against the property. From the questions I get, some of you are concerned that it will be your responsibility to pay them.

Not true!

Liens do not pass with title.

So any liens that exist….by the way a mortgage is a lien, must be paid by the seller at closing.

You as the buyer do not have any responsibility to pay any liens so the house you purchase will be free of any monetary liens.

Also, I might mention one of the advantages of working in Probate is that most of the houses you will find are free and clear. The person who owned it often times had lived there for quite some time and consequently had paid off their mortgage.

Nice, huh?

And lastly, there are no “secret methods” for finding Probate notices before anyone else finds out about them. If someone tells you there is, I would be very suspicious about any information or system they are trying to sell you.

As most of you know, I send out messages almost every week and if I discovered an update to my system, you would be the first to know.

Hope all of you are enjoying your summer. We’ve been having almost idyllic weather here in Portland. Mid 80’s to mid-90’s almost every day with less than 40% humidity.

However, our local weather guesser says 100+ next week.

We’ll see!

Would you like more information on how to find 100% motivated sellers? My DVD series shows you how.

http://BuyProbateProperty.com/special-dvd

When you are first starting your real estate investment venture, it’s filled with very different emotions.

Since you are new and there’s lot’s of things you don’t know, you can be apprehensive at times.

You are also excited and happy about the prospects of putting together your first deal. The potential for success (and dollars) keeps you going.

If you are working in Probate you mail out your first few letters and then you get a call.

You set the appointment to view the property; you meet with the PR; you inspect the property; everything is going great.

“This is just as easy as Ron said it would be.”

Then you ask the PR what he/she needs for this house (be sure to always ask the PR what they need, don’t volunteer your offer first) and the number they give you is totally unrealistic.

OH NO! you say. What’s this person thinking?

They are asking the market value from 4 years ago. Don’t they understand that houses have dropped in value over the last year or two?

The next thing you do is write me a note asking what kind of advice I can give you to help the PR get realistic.

Often times my answer is “Not very much!”

Now I am not trying to be a wise guy but sometimes the PR is just not in touch with the market. They are convinced their house is “different”.

If you can find comparable sales within the past 3-4 months that will certainly help your case.

But generally my answer is “Move on!”

Here’s the reality of this business. You cannot change other peoples thinking; the only thinking you can change is your own.

So to try to present logical facts and argue to show the PR what the house is really worth can be very frustrating and unproductive.

If you have presented your case and you are getting no where, just move to the next deal.

That’s why it is so important you be very, very consistent in mailing out letters.

Volume of letters is key in this business.

You need to have several prospective deals working all the time because sometimes the one you are sure will close, doesn’t.

But if you have other deals in the works, you will be less disappointed.

So just move on. NEXT!

But also remember this story.

I once closed a deal eleven months after I first met with the PR.

He laughed at my first offer but because I was polite and respectful, he remembered me and eleven months later he called me and asked me back and we struck a deal.

He actually said he had saved my letter “on the refrigerator”
because he liked me.

Love those little refrigerator magnets!

So I guess the old adage “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”
certainly applies to real estate investing.

And so does “If you throw enough mud on the wall, some will stick!”

Mail those letters. Mail those letters.

Need more information about Probate Real Estate investing? I’ve outlined it on my website.

http://BuyProbateProperty.com

My friend Jeff Tracy called me yesterday.

“Ronbo, you ready for some fr*ee money?” he asked.

“Bring it by the wheelbarrow!” I said.

Here’s a little tip he gave me and I want to pass on to you folks.

Most of our homes have dropped in value over the last 24 months….I know ours sure has.

So think about it.

Your property taxes are based upon the value of your home, right?

So how about contacting your county tax assessor’s office and asking for a re-assessment?

If your home value has gone down then you should be paying less taxes.

No need paying taxes you don’t need to be paying now is there?

If your house has gone down $20,000, $30,000 or $40,000 you can save yourself a couple of hundred dollars, right?

Now I realize this isn’t Goldman-Sachs money but every little bit helps.

Give your county tax assessor’s office a call first thing Monday.

By the way………

This is the next to last day for our weekend mp3 audio special.

If you have put off ordering, you can do it here,

http://BuyProbateProperty.com/mp3

With your tax savings, the mp3’s become a freebee!

Put one Probate deal together and my little tax tip can end up making you a lot of money.

That’s called leverage!

Here’s the mp3 link again,

http://BuyProbateProperty.com

Have fun!