It is another month and another chance for Default Research to give our clients a new opportunity to be the first to approach homeowners in distress. We will be verifying all mailing addresses against the National Change of Address database starting this month and all those addresses will be cleansed to ensure accuracy of zip codes and addresses. What this means for our clients is that delivery rates should reach over 95%! It also means less undelivered mail and an overall more efficient business for our clients. Of course, we have more upgrades planned in the next few months. Our clients will have the opportunity to use the reduced postage rates and they will also be able to verify mailing addresses before delivery.
Until then, though, this month´s newsletter is about helping our clients reach families today. Make it a great day and great month and please let us know about it. We are always happy to hear success stories and testimonials about the product. Thanks!
The news is beginning to be redundant; when you tune in to local or national news, within minutes you hear about foreclosures and how bad the real estate market is. Yes, national home sales did fall in the first quarter of 2008. However, there is good news that is not being mentioned. For example, mortgage lending practices are being reformed, residential vacancy rates are declining, and properties values are at record lows. That is news we like to continually hear!
I am also guilty of repeating what I say over and over again. I have been urging people for the last 12 months to buy properties at below market values, rent them out, and then sell after a year or two. The numbers show that the U.S. real estate economy is going to recover soon. Just look at Charlotte and Seattle! These regions are seeing inventories begin to decline and median home prices are increasing. The rest of the country will follow suit.
So, stay informed, but don´t believe everything you hear on the news. Avoid the dismal news and look at the opportunities that are available using Default Research´s list.
The two most common questions we get at Default Research are which area is the best for loss mitigation and which markets are the least competitive? Since we do not engage in any loss mitigation work, that is a difficult question for us to answer. We find that everyone immediately flocks to the areas that have the most foreclosures, and that may or may not be a wise choice. Because everyone is interested in the same areas, these areas become more competitive.
On the other hand, those clients who branch out into less foreclosure-populated areas like Northern California, Washington State, or Suburban Detroit find that there are more opportunities in these lesser known areas. These "low key" areas tend to have less competition, so we encourage people to get out and explore!
Finally, wherever you are, know your foreclosure laws.
Direct mail is one of the most powerful methods of advertising. It can also be very expensive, but with a few pointers you can significantly reduce costs. Here are a few:
Make sure your list is correct and accurate. One of the advantages of Default Research is that we verify homeowner addresses through the NCOA (National Change of Address Database), and this ensures that nearly all of the mail our clients send reaches the intended recipient. Those using unverified lists will find that they are getting 20 percent or more of their mail returned as undeliverable
Sort your mail. If you sort your mail by zip codes you will be able to earn a discount on postage.
Pick the right day of the week. Experiment by sending mail out on different days of the week. Sometimes mail arriving on the weekend has better results than on the weekday. Conversely, some of our clients have found that mailers sent out on Monday or Tuesday work best. You have to experiment for your area's best results.
Track your items. Use unique phone numbers or special offer codes to track which marketing campaign works best for you.
These are a few pointers to improve your direct mail campaign. You can also visit the United States Postal Service site which has even more information at www.usps.com.
Free Book
Order the freshest leads
from any Default Research county for six or more months and receive a free
copy of, "The
Pre-Foreclosure Real Estate Handbook: Insider Secrets to Locating and Purchasing
Pre-Foreclosed Properties in Any Market."
Be sure to check out the
forward in the free book written by Default Research President/CEO
Serdar Bankaci. Again, to get your free copy, order any county for six
months. To order please call 888-211-8396
What is the MOST IMPORTANT MOMENT in a real estate investor's life? It is the 30 to 60 minutes you are with a potential seller trying to get them to sell at a 20% to 50% discount to their homes value!
"Imagine Being Able to Consistently Get Seller's To Sell At A 20% to 50% Discount!"
Wonder if this is possible? It is if you are totally prepared and have a well- done professional presentation during that critical moment.
