Brief rant

I’ve been working on tracking down the owner of two vacant properties in the same neighborhood for a week or so. He lives in the neighborhood, too, but never seems to be home to answer the door or phone. Well I finally got ahold of him tonight, introduced myself and asked if he was interested in selling either of his vacant properties. In talking to neighbors, they’ve both been sitting vacant for 3-5 years. The guy says no, he’s not interested in selling. Now I didn’t ask if he had plans to fix them up, because i wasn’t sure if that was any of my business, but it baffles me. Why would someone just want to hold on to vacant properties? I know he got the properties from relatives that died, but are sentimental reasons enough to keep a property? He owns them free and clear, but he still has to pay taxes. And from the city’s perspective, shouldn’t there be some law about just letting properties fall apart and be a blight on the community? I’m perfectly willing to improve the neighborhood and he’d rather just sit on the houses.

Okay, rant over.

There are laws against blight but they are never enforced. He’s definitely hiding something. He’s probably getting calls like yours from investors all the time and may be sick of it. Be persistant and you might get the answer. Try follow up letters, if you talk to him again be rude with a smile.

Send him a contract a.k.a offer to purchase. Just to show him you are serious. Plant the seed in his head and let it grow.

Good thought Robb…

You’re never short on ideas outside the box.

-Mike

My town enforces the blight laws pretty hard. A guy I know that lives in a rundown house with about 50 antique cars in his yard was getting fined daily for every day that goes by that he doesn’t clean up his mess. Boy would I love to clean his yard, he’s got so many classic cars out there its sickening. You could make a fortune selling them to people that do restoration.

some people just don’t care or got some weird logic of what they are going to do. I’ve chased a number of these (vacant owner types) over a periods of years and never gotten anywhere. Don’t be surprised if you get absolutely zero response.

Hey Rich I’m with you! Let’s go make that guy an offer I know alot of auto-investors too.
Where is it?

Bristol, CT. Don’t bother though, you’d be wasting your time. My father has known the guy for quite some time and the guy has no interest in selling. Oh, and if you’re interested in motorcycles he also has a garage full of Indians.

You don’t see many of those bikes anymore…my dad used to have one years ago…

…and I think that, to be politically correct, you’re supposed to call them “Native American” motorcycles…

Keith

I’m part indian, I get a pass on that reference. LOL

Awesome idea. I think I’ll give that a try.

Rich you tease! Everybody has a button, we just need to find his. Does he wnt to sell an Indian or two?

Sending letters at various intervals is a great way of keeping you in the owner’s mind should he decide to sell. Perhaps, include in your letter approximate buying amounts, and how the extra money could benefit his/her life in the future. The owner may either get sick of you or breakdown and call you when and if he/she decides to sell :). Community blight, is different in every city. What may be an eye-sore in one city may be acceptable in another.

Maybe he’s holding the property for family or siblings when he dies? It could be any number of reasons.