What are some of your successes in negotiating CFK in a 'not so great' neighborhood, especially as a female!

I usually send a fedex and have been getting responses until lately! And the last two have totally ignored me.

The property I just received made me a little nervous, there were about 5 trucks in the yard and people working on their cars in the street. As I approached the property I heard the TV and saw the drapes move, but no one opened the door. As I walked away I felt eyes watching me along with everyone else on the street!

I'm hesitant about going back, or maybe I should take someone with me.

Has anyone ever hired someone to talk to the occupants or deliver a letter from you?

Thanks

I tape a letter to the front door.

Then I go home and see if I can wrestle up a phone number for the occupants.

If I haven't heard anything in 3 days my husband goes and posts a letter.

Many times if they see me they don't open the door, but when they see him step on their property, oftentimes they open the door and ask what he is doing - which has worked nicely.

If we still don't hear anything he posts a weekly notice for them to call our office and takes a picture w/date & timestamp, so they can't come back and say we didn't try.

Basically I do the same thing as .__.

In a questionable area, my husband always comes with me. I talked to a private investigator once who told me he always wears a bullet proof vest when approaching these props. I'm seriously thinking of getting some mace.


I've tried the fedex/usps thing - even sending the letter in a little box so they will at least opening it, thinking its something good. No return address. Never got a response from it. The only way I've gotten responses is letter taped to door or face to face. Wish it were easier!

I've had little success with Cash for Keys, in over twelve years I can only think of a few cases that actually worked out.

The problem is that in New York the eviction legal process can be so drawn out (frequently several months) that the amount offered isn't sufficient when the occupant looks at the cost of housing elsewhere and the cost of doing their own trash removal (all the C4K's I have seen require a broom clean condition).

Same here - the occupants know their rights well - $1000 cfk vs 6 months rent free at $800 a month.

They can do the math!

I guess I am lucky. I get most people out with CFKs. The $500 to $1,000 doesn't work in California but $2,500 usually does. I talk with the people respectfully and with compassion. Usually the people occupying the homes for me are tenants. I'm there to work WITH them to relocate and get some cash. I tell them they are going to move out sooner or later with cash in hand or thru an eviction.

Imagine trying to rent with an eviction on your record?

Thank you all for your replies. I sometimes use zabasearcha.com or intelligus for $2.95 to find a phone number.

Taping a letter to the door every week is a good idea with the date stamp.

Don't have a husband to send but I'm working on it!! LOL

I have one of those really scary ones right now. Looks like the local junkyard. At least 10 old trucks among other things. They have a line of skulls hanging above the garage and a totem pole out front with a skull on it. No joke. I am hoping they are fake, I have not gotten that close.
I take someone with me. I have had quite a few sign cash for keys. The ones that don't are the $5000 cleanup properties. We can't pay em enough to cleanup their own mess.
Anyway take someone with you, anyone. Post the notes on the doors along with a nice note to call you. If they are cooperative they will call.

I just had a bank authorize me to offer an occupant $9,000 to move out in 30 days. And the occupant is "thinking about it".

I just got one listing where the subject is two units and is Rent Controlled. I will see what the bank wants to offer to the former owner who lived there since 1976. I hate ReNt CoNtRoL!

I had one today where the guy said he didn't want the money, and that no problem, he will leave in two weeks without fight.

I have a good success rate with CFK. I have one difficult case now. It is with a tenant who signed the CFK agreement but has come up with every excuse as to why he hasn't left. My client finally withdrew the offer as we were being jerked around.

seasaw, what do you do that makes you so successful in your CFK?

Has anyone ever declined an REO because of location and condition?

I decline them from time to time. Mainly they are either too far away or out of my mls area.
I don't care what condition it's in, I will sell it regardless.

I send them weekly letters. I have convinced some AMs to give CFK even if they leave some items behind if they sign a release agreement. It is easier to give them the money and remove some items than wait months for the eviction process.

I have declined REOs because of location and condition. I'm a female and a 1 person team. If I'm not comfortable with the area and the condition, I decline the listing. This can backfire. One AM has told me they will not give me listings because I pick and choose rather than accept any listing assigned to me. That's fine by me. My personal safety is more important.