its me again. =oP

here's a bunch of mixed questions and statements ive compiled for myself. my purpose is to draw out pain or some level of motivation mainly from the sellers/buyers. hopefully this will help you limit those silent moments or if youre drawing a blank during a conversation.

please excuse any reptitive questions since this is just a rough draft. when im on the phone with FSBO's i have about 10-15 questions that i usually ask to retrieve information for my due diligence. read through it and cherry pick a few that suits your objective


Why are you selling?
Why isn't it fully rented?
How much do you need now?
Talk to the tenants
What's the property worth after repairs?
What can you expect for rent?
How will you fund the rehab?
If you can't afford it, can you partner up with the seller in exchange for an equity share?
How would the numbres work out at 100% occupancy?
How long do you plan on holding the property
What type of property are you buying?
What is your credit like?
Can you do a full doc or stated loan application?
Do you have 6 months of cash reserves? Seasoned
Do you want the property to support itself?
Is the LTV based on purchase price or after rehab appraised value.
Do you have a full commitment letter
How will you cover closing costs?
How can or will you increase the value?
How will you buy it?
Can you buy this without your own money?
How is it being managed now?
Is it being managed by property management?
How much is deferred maintenance?
How long has thecurrent owner owned it?
Insurance rates will increase, negotiate with this
Ask the bank what they require for the loan review?
Can the space be used for a different type of business?
Would there be environmental issues from use of chemicals?
Can you handle 6-12 months of vacancy between business tenants?
Could you afford tenant improvement as an incentive to get the place leased?
Are there any restrictions on the use of the property and the hours of operation(imposed by the city)?
inquire about any escrows set up by the current owners for vacancy allowances, repair allowances and security deposits and rent advances.
demand the next months and subsequent rents be paid to escrow as well, and monitored by the Closing Agent
"My 20 percent pledge would be a promisory note, secured by some savings account, real estate equity on another property, a cert of deposit, or money market acct. or even a stock portfolio feature. I would not put hard cash on the line, up front.
How long have you owned the property?
What would you estimate the property to be worth?
How did you determine the value?
Did you have an appraisal or is it from your familiarity with the neighborhood?
What would you suppose is owned on it now?
Is the property listed with a Realtor?
Has it been listed in the past?
How long has it been on the market?
Why do you think it didn't sell?
What kind of offers did you get?
What are your plans if it doesn't sell?
Are you willing or able to forgo listing it (cancel the listing) and lease to someone on a full payout basis?
What physical condition would you say it’s in?
How does it compare overall to other properties in the neighborhood?
What would you say the cost of all repairs and refurbishments to bring it to maximal condition might come to?
How old a property would you say it is?
Have you owned it all that time (or How long have you owned the property)?
What would you suppose would be the least amount of actual cash you could get by with if someone were to just take over the payments?
If you don’t mind my asking, what are your plans for the cash (e.g., Is that primarily for bringing the loan current, commission, taxes, refurbishment, late payments, down payment on your next house, etc)?
Are their any Jr. liens?
If so, what are their balances, payments, interest rates and due dates?
Any unpaid property tax or insurance?
Any outstanding or pending liens or judgments against the property or against you personally?
What would you like to see happen?
How soon will you be (do you have to be) moving?
Where will you be settling?
Would you have any objections to leaving the existing loan in place in your own name for say, 3-4 years, assuming doing so doesn’t affect you negatively in any way?
Can you stay on the loan and leave your equity in tact?
What do you think the value is?
What will the total payment be, including taxes and insurance?
About how much equity would you be carrying?
How long have you had it on the market?
Why are you selling?
Why do you think it hasn't sold?
Do you think it could be over-priced?
How much work will it need?
How negotiable is the price?
What will you do with it if it doesn't sell?
When do you have to move?
What's the neighborhood like?
Is there a particular crime or vandalism history for the area?
How old are the appliances?
Have you used a real estate agent before?
How have your past experiences been?
How would your plans be affected if you moved earlier/later?
Tell me about your experiences in buying and selling real estate
How many homes have you owned?
How many times have you moved?
How long have you thought about selling?
Why have you chosen to move now?
Why is that an important time to move?
What are your plans after the property sells?
Have you located another home yet?
How do you and your family feel about this move?
What do you see as the biggest benefit/drawback of this move?
Do you have any other properties that are for sale?
What improvement have you made to your home since you bought it?
What is your asking price?
Is your asking price set solid in stone or is it negotiable?
How much can you come down on your asking price?
Is that the absolute lowest price you’re willing to come down too?
Is there a mortgage on your home?
May I ask what is still owed on the mortgage?
So, I expect you are going to use the purchase money to move on and find another home, right?
I am willing to give you $__ providing we can draw up and signed the paperwork right now?
Are you licensed?
Do you carry general liability insurance?
Do you carry workers’ compensation insurance?
Do you offer Financing?
Will you pull all the required building permits?
Do you guarantee your work?
Who will be in charge of the job?
Will you provide me with written references?
How do you handle dirty work?
How long have you been an agent?
How long have you been working for the your Broker?
Do you personally own any rentals?
Are you willing to do ANYTHING to make a deal happen?
What do you owe?
Are you willing to sell it for what you owe?
How much equity would you say you have?
How much is left on the loan?
Would you consider owner finance?
Would you do a carryback?
Would you carry paper on this?
Are you in a position where you could take payments?
Would it be possible for me to make payments for a while and pay off your loan later?
But let me ask you this, if we can do that for you, what can you do for us?
Would the property cash flow if you held onto it?
Why is the seller selling?
Is there any equity?
The most I can pay as an investor, based on the market conditions, is $(MAO), and I don't even know if I can do that until I come out and see your house. Should I come take a look
When do you think you'll be talking with your attorney?
Wwhat if we were able to get you a chunk of money up front, and then pay you the rest as monthly payments over time. Is that something we should even talk about, or probably not?
What are rental and resale prices like?
How long are properties staying on the market?
I know you'd like to get this thing sold, but what is it you're really looking to do here?
What sort of time frame are we looking at here?
How soon do we need to get this done?
It looks a little skinny. Are you expecting to walk away with any money here, or would it help if I just took over payments?
What are you going to do if it doesn't sell?
Are they cosmetic or structural?
Has the home been well maintained?
Are there any recurring problems?
Now which is more important to you the Price you sell for ?or the Terms of the sale?
How many bedrooms and baths? Is there a garage, carport, etc.? Type of heating and cooling, if any? Appliances, fireplaces, fenced yard?
How much do you owe on the property?
What type of repairs does the property need?
Do you buy property in the flood plain? Corner lots? High traffic areas? Property that backs up to a shopping center? High crime areas? Rural property? If the property does not meet your intended use, reject it and move on to the next property
Is the property free and clear, or is it encumbered? Is the existing financing desirable? Assumable? Prohibitive?
Mr. Seller, when did you want the property handled? Six months? Twelve months? Ideally, when did you want it handled?
When a seller has little or no equity and good terms on their loan I ask them Would you CONSIDER selling the house for what you owe?
How close to what you owe do you need?
I can pay more for your property if I take over the existing loan.
Where are you moving to? When will you be buying another house?
Why don't you pay it off now?
Can you wait for your equity, and still get into your new home?
I can pay you more if I don't have to pull my cash out of other investments that get me a very high return. The only way I can get close to your price is if I take over your loan. Let me ask you again, what is the least you could take all cash?
Would you consider selling for what you owe?
How close to what you owe can you get?
I can take care of your loan, pay all cash for your equity, and close whenever you like. Those would be the best terms for you, right? If I do that, what would be the least you could accept, your bottom line?
Is that the best you can do?
I can take that loan off your back and close quickly. If I took the houses as is, what is the least you could take?
That's fine. I won't hold you to a number, but I do need an idea of your bottom line before moving forward with my research. What the least you could take?
You have some equity in the house. If I give you part of your cash now, and most of it later, I can pay you more money for the house.
That depends all the whole deal. I have to see the house first. Can you wait for all of it if I made it worth your while?
How long do I have to wait? What do you mean by later?
We can look at that. The longer you wait the more I can pay you. Would you like to meet and show me the property?
What's more important, getting the house sold quickly at a fair price, or interest?
We can't know all details until after I see the house. What I can do depends on all the elements of my purchase.
What is it that you owe against the property?
And your payments are? Best guess?
Does that include the real estate taxes and insurance?
And when did you want the property handled, six months? Twelve months? Ideally when did you want the property handled?
What were you planning to do if you didn't sell the house right away? What was your back-up plan?
Had you ever thought about just renting it out?
What do you think it would rent for?
I know you don't plan on renting it out, but if you did rent it what do you think it would rent for? This just gives me a better idea of the value of the property.
Now who else besides you is on title to the property?
How do I know you will make the payments?
This is our business and this is the way we buy most all of our properties. We would never jeopardize our reputation by NOT making the payments as agree. We do not get paid until we cash this loan out so you can bet we are working hard toward that end
What if we decide to buy another home?
When will you sell the house?
We can’t give you an exact time frame for that. We may get a buyer within 30 days or the loan may go the full term. While we can’t guarantee exactly when it will cash out, what we can guarantee is that the payments will be made on time
Remember, we do not get paid until it cashes out, so we are trying constantly to get this completed.
What if the person you put in the home tears it up or does not pay?
The people we put in the home are folks who want to OWN the home, not rent at. As such, the chance of them tearing it up is much less likely. As we are not going to be actually living there, we can’t guarantee that they won’t tear it up but if they do it is our responsiblity to fix it.
We also cannot guarantee that they will pay us every month but we DO guarantee that we will make the payments on this house and that is in writing.
How do we know you will do as agreed? How can we trust you?
Again, this is our business and how we support our families. We know this business and are confident that we can offer you the best solution RIGHT NOW.
How do we know you'll actually make our payments?
How much down and how much a month?
I know you requested 60-day terms, but at this price, we'd need payment in 30 days.
If I pay you all cash and close quickly, what's the least you would accept?
Is that the best you can do?
So you're saying if I don't give you $_____, you won't sell the house?
What's your second choice?
How about a dollar?
I simply have too many prospects to waste time on those I can't buy. If you'll tell me what you're asking, I'll know quickly if we can do business. Is that fair?
What do you owe on the house?
What if they say it's none of your business?
I buy ____ houses per year and use many different methods. I'm probably the most serious buyer you've talked to yet. However, I'll need the facts to be able to present you with an intelligent offer. Will this be a problem for you?
Will you sell the house for what you owe on it?
I will lease your house with the right to buy it for the loan balance when I purchase. I'll guarantee your payment and maintenance until the loan is paid off and the house is out of your life. How does that sound?
Will you lease option your home to me?
If this will cause you to lose sleep at night, I'd rather not do it. Is it going to be a problem?
If you and I can't do business today, what will you do with the house?
I'll put it on the market or list with a Realtor® until it sells.
And what if it doesn't sell?
What interest rate is that?
Why do you need interest?
What's more important, your interest or getting the house sold now?
If I give you interest, how much can we lower the price?
Will you sell to me with no down payment?
Would you wait six months (or a year) for your first payment?
Would you take 25% off the balance I owe you if I agree to pay you off within _____ years?
Do you have an IRA or any other investment capital that's not getting you a 15% return safely?
When do you want to close?
Do you want to buy or rent?
If I can show you how to buy and get you financed, would you rather own than rent? If yes, continue. If no, save your breath.
Have you ever tried to buy before?
Is your credit good, fair, or poor?
What's on it a bank wouldn't like?
How much money can you raise for a down payment?
Can you get any more?
Can you borrow from relatives?
Do you have credit cards?
Do you have something you could sell or trade to me?
Can you repair houses, or do you have other skills to earn more?

yep...that's a bunch of questions....

You can't intimidate me, Alvin. I own highlighters. And I'm leaving no statement unmarked. One of them just might make me a lot of money.

Gotta love our Alvin

brain... hurts... urg

strangest post ever.

Boy, somebody's got a lot of time on his hands.

I hope that was a copy & paste thing.....I'd hate to think he had time to type all that.

1/4 was copy and paste.

the rest i retyped from my brainstorming sessions and previous talks with other investors.

lol it took me about a year to compile these questions.

Awesome Share! Thanks Alvin

Alvin.....I certainly applaud your enthusiasm.