Sharon Vornholt - Let's Talk Real Estate Investing

I have 5 tips for using ringless voicemail for probate marketing for you today.  If you've been following me for any length of time now, you'll know that I've generally been against cold calling folks in probate.  It's just insensitive to call them as soon as the probate is opened. For most people, this is a really sensitive time in their life. They are grief stricken and the last thing you want to do is upset them at this very difficult time.    How to Increase Your Direct Rail Response Rate by Adding Ringless Voicemail In this show you will learn: Should your first contact with the executors ever be by phone? How ringless voicemail greatly increases your direct mail response When is it appropriate to call the personal representative? What should you say in your ringless voicemail?   Bonus Script As a bonus, I have a super short script that you can use.  Here's your script: "Hi. This is "(your name) with (your company). I've been keeping in touch with you over the past few months about the property located

Probates have been my #1 source of leads for more than a decade.  I love working in this niche, but that's not true for all investors.  There are a couple of reasons why real estate investors shy away from this particular niche. One of them has to do with mindset.  In this episode, I'm going to lay out the reasons that folks hesitate to work in what is one of the most lucrative niches on the planet. You'll learn how to overcome any hangups you may have, and learn what you need to do to become a probate investing expert yourself.    Would you like to become a probate expert too? Check out Probate Investing Simplified.   Learn how you can become a probate investing expert in just 6 short weeks. Be sure to leave us a review and rating on iTunes. Thanks in advance for doing that. For more information on marketing, probate investing and so much more, be sure to stop by the Louisville Gals Real Estate Blog.    .

By now you know how much I love direct mail marketing, but we all wish response rates were higher. Response rates are about 1% nationally.   What if I told you that by adding one thing to your existing direct mail campaigns, you might incease your results by 400% or more?  That would get your interest wouldn't it? My guest today is Justin Silverio the owner of Open Letter Marketing. Just is a full time investor that set out to solve the problem of how to get more leads in his own business.   Show Notes Here is a sample of what we talked about in this show: What makes this company different from all the others Marketing strategies to get more leads in the door What's working now Ringless voicemail Why combining these 2 strategies gives you a huge bump in response rates Google street view postcards Other innovative ways of marketing your REI business You can reach out to Justin at Open Letter Marketing.  Be sure to stop by the Louisville Gals Real Estate Blog for more great content.     

Today's show is on strategies for closing off market deals. Where exactly do you get the money? Over the past couple of weeks, I've been talking about off market deals like probates, absentee owners, code violations and all the other properties that aren't listed on the MLS. When a property is listed on the MLS, thousands of agents (and investors) have access to these properties. There's a lot of competition! The reason I like off market deals, is there is so much less competition. Some of the things I'll go over in this show are the reasons sellers choose investors over an agent (it has to do with our promise), and the 6 ways anyone can show up as a cash buyer.  Hint: You don't actually have to have the cash in your bank account. Be sure to head over to the Louisville Gals Real Estate Blog for more great content.     .

Marketing is not a one-time event. It's an ongoing process. However, what I've found over the years, is that for a whole lot of investors their marketing resembles a horse race; a one time or "some times" event.  Here's what I mean by that.   In horse racing, it's a sprint. The horses get to the starting gate then they rush down the track as fast as they can to get to the finish line. When a horse get's to the finish line, they are done. The event is over until the next week, and that's the way a lot of investors think about marketing. You need to remember that marketing is your number 1 job in this business. Without leads, you'll be out of business in no time. You can read the article over on the Louisville Gals Real Estate Blog.     .

I talk a lot about off market deals, specifically probates.  You know I've even written a course on probate investing called "Probate Investing Simplified".  Today I want to talk about another group of motivated sellers that are also off market deals, and those are absentee owners. I personally only market to out of state absentee owners, and I will also tell you why I only market to those out of state in the show.  Here are some of the things I go over in this show: Why I like this niche The problem with absentee owners is... New strategies for increasing your direct mail results Where to get a list of absentee owners The criteria I recommend you use when getting a list The most important filter to include when you get your list And so much more Be sure to stop by the blog for more great content here at the Louisville Gals Real Estate Blog.   

  Probate investing is my #1 strategy and it has been for more than a decade now.  One of the questions I get the most is about compiling probate lists, and whether you should go back in time when you first start to build your list. The answer is yes.  If you don't do that, it will take you too long to build a list that will bring you deals. In this show, here are some of the things I will cover: How many months you should go back How to compile and separate your lists Why you need to go back this far Tips for scrubbing your probate list And much more. To see the complete article and get a copy of my FREE probate letter you can head on over to the Louisville Gals Real Estate Blog.       .

This is a brand new year, and today I want to talk about setting yourself up for success.  New year, new you....what exactly does that mean?  It means that you have a chance to start this year with a clean slate.  Whatever happened last year is in the past. We all get to start fresh. If you make some changes, you can definitely be a better version of you 12 months from now, and I guarantee that your real estate business will be better as a result of making these changes.  One of the things I'm going to talk about the importance of knowing your "why", and how that will keep you pushing ahead on those days when you feel like throwing in the towel (hey we've all had those times).   I will also talk a bit about what I think is the best way to set AND achieve your goals, and I have 14 tips tips for you to help you become your best version of yourself.   Resources Here is a list of the books I mentioned in the show: The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy The 12 Week Year by Brian Moran Eat that Frog by Brian Tracy Do

I have been investing in real estate for about 2 decades now, but it was 10 years before I ever wholesaled a house. I was busy rehabbing and buying rentals. Truthfully, I just never thought about it.  Wholesaling houses is a concept a lot of new investors have trouble wrapping their brain around. Even seasoned investors don't always wholesale houses.  I hope this article today will help simply the process for you. Wholesaling is one of the many strategies that you can use to buy and sell property. It is by far the quickest way to make some fast cash using little or none of your own money, and you don't need good credit. Listen in to find out more details.  If you could use some help talking to sellers when you get them on the phone be sure to head over to the Louisville Gals Real Estate Blog and pick up a copy of my Property Information Form.  It's completely free, and it's a great way to make sure you get all the information you need about the property. You can also read the entire article on wholesaling hou

Have you ever wondered if you need to change course in your business? I know I have. That's actually the beauty of being an entrepreneur. Unlike big corporations, we have the ability to make big changes quickly. We don't have to be stuck in the "old way" of doing things, especially if they aren't working for us. It this sounds like you, how do you get back on course or completely change course? I have some actionable tips for doing this as painlessly as possible.  Be sure to stop by the Louisville Gals Real Estate Blog for more great content.

The topic of today's show is all about Gen Z and how they are changing the way we do business. This is the first generation in history to be born into a world where everything is digital. They have never known another way of doing things. Because of this, business is changing rapidly. As investors, we have to change if we intend to be in business 5, 10, or 20 (or more) years from now. Simply put, Gen Z will not do business with anyone that cannot meet their needs.   Exactly Who is Gen Z and why Should We Care? According to Forbes (2015), the generation after Millennials, Gen Z, which they define as people being born between the mid 1990's and early 2000's, make up a whopping 25% of the population. This makes them a larger group of people than Baby Boomers or Millennials. These are the folks that will define how we do business going forward. One thing is for sure; to survive we will have to be sure our businesses serve this digital segment of the population. Be sure to stop by the Louisville Gals Real Estate B

As entrepreneurs, we often feel like we are alone. In reality, many investors are actually solopreneurs. That's the way so many of us start out. Building a successful business isn't something you do alone. You need a team. No matter what stage of business you're in, having an accountability partner is a no cost way to start to build your team.  Even if you have someone that does some of the day-to-day tasks in your business, we all need someone to bounce ideas off of; "a big picture thinker" (like us) in our life. In this show. I have some tips on not only how to find an accountability partner, but how to find the right accountability partner. I'm also going to tell you how to set some boundaries so that this relationship works for everyone.

  Today's show is on direct mail marketing. When you decide you need more leads for your business, you will need to increase your marketing. Here's the question; if you are doing direct mail marketing, will increasing the amount of your direct mail pieces automatically be the right thing to do? And, will it make you more money quickly?  Well, maybe... and maybe not. I can tell you this for sure, you will have some costs that you may not have thought about.  Be sure to stop by the Louisville Gals Real Estate Blog for more great content.

  Mitch Stephen is back today for another show and the topic is money. Specifically we are going to talk about 3 categories of money and how they are used; one time money, temporary money and forever money. There is definitely a place for all 3 when it comes to building a profitable real estate investing business.  Here are a few of the things we talked about: How Mitch got started building an empire The turning point that changed everything Breaking down the 3 categories of money: one time money, temporary money and forever money How each type of money is utilized The profile of Mitch's perfect student The thing that successful students have in common  Why you should invest money in your education Head on over to the Louisville Gals Real Estate Blog for more cutting edge information.     .

  One questions that I get asked all the time is about hiring an acquisition manager. When should you hire one?  And, once you make the decision to hire one, what do you look for in that person?  San Antonio investor Mitch Stephen has purchased over 1500 houses, he is the author of 3 books in the "My Life and 1000 Houses" series of books, and he is an expert on owner financing.  I think you're going to love this show. Be sure to stop by the Louisville Gals Real Estate Blog for more up to date information on starting or growing a profitable real estate investing business.

  I have a case study for you today. This is a killer wholesale deal that definitely a home run. Listen in as Chicago investor Kevin Forte shares how he found the deal, his numbers and his expected 6 figure payday.  Be sure to stop by the Louisville Gals Real Estate Blog for more great content. 

I have a great show for you today for anyone that would like to hear the HUD buying process (start to finish), owner financing and a whole lot more. My guest is HUD expert Larry Goins. Larry has been a HUD expert for a couple of decades. Once you learn how to buy HUD houses, you'll have one more way to find deals.  You're also going to learn the "no risk way" to make an offer on every house that meets your criteria.  Stop by the blog for more resources and to find out how to get your FREE HUD book on Larry's Site. Louisville Gals Real Estate Blog

If you've ever wished marketing wasn't so hard, this is the episode for you. It doesn't have to be that way.   

  "How do I find time for marketing" is one of the most common questions that I get. So here's a little tough love.... Marketing is your #1 job so you have to set aside time to get it done. (No excuses here). Here is a real hard fact; if you don't have leads coming in day after day you will be out of business in no time.    Even if You Have a Job! Folks that already have a full time job, have less time. But there are plenty of people out there getting it done, and that is because they have a plan. And, if you are a full time real estate investor - it's the same answer. Marketing should be your #1 task on your list every day.  In today's episode, you're going to learn how to finally get on the right track. And... it's a lot easier than you think. Be sure to stop by the Louisville Gals Real Estate Blog for more great tips on starting or growing a successful real estate investing business. Have questions? Just email me at sharon@sharonvornholt.com Happy investing!       .

It's pretty easy for real estate investors to get complacent when it comes to safety. Our natural inclination is to trust people. But I believe that investors are much more risk than real estate agents. Investors look at property in a lot of unfamiliar areas. That's what we do. So how do you stay safe?  There are some simple things you should incorporate into you routine any time you look at property and that's what this show is about. Today I have 10 safety tips for you. Most are common sense and simple, but often we just don't think about them.   I believe that Realtors have an edge when it comes to safety.  In most cases they have an office they can use as a meeting place. They are around other people when meeting with strangers.  Investors are in a different position in most cases. Some have offices, but many if not most. work from home. Take a few minutes today to listen to the show and always put your safety first when looking at property. Be sure to stop by the blog when you get a minute and say hi.  L