| Buying and selling bulk REO's is the hottest real estate | | | | Bulk REO's are foreclosed properties that banks own. |
| niche in the country right now. This business is only a | | | | Some of the homes may be currently listed with an |
| few years old. Therefore, not many people know how | | | | Agent while others may not. Banks are not in the |
| this business works. | | | | property management business. They are in the |
| Lucky for you, I have been one of the few investors in | | | | lending business and want these toxic assets off their |
| the country who has actually closed bulk REO deals | | | | books. Therefore, this has created a tremendous |
| and play in this market everyday. I like doing $1 deals | | | | opportunity for investors who know how to play in this |
| with Bulk REO's just as much as I do when buying and | | | | market. |
| selling single REO homes. However, I like doing bulk | | | | A bulk package is also referred to as a tape. These |
| REO deals more because the profit potentials are | | | | tapes contain tens or hundreds (sometimes thousands) |
| much bigger. | | | | of REO properties. A tape is nothing more than an |
| In addition, the bulk REO business is far less | | | | excel spreadsheet list of properties. |
| competitive than buying single REO homes from REO | | | | Can I Do $1 Deals With Bulk REO's? |
| agents. Most investors don't understand how to make | | | | Yes, in fact you can get started trading Bulk REO |
| money with Bulk REO's, or they think buying bulk REO | | | | deals without any money. Let's learn exactly how this |
| packages are too risky. | | | | can be done. |
| Here's why..... | | | | There are several ways to make money buying and |
| When you buy a pool of bulk REO assets from a | | | | selling bulk REO's. Your options are either: |
| bank, you are buying "sight unseen". This is enough to | | | | - Brokering Bulk REO Deals |
| scare away most traditional investors. Don't worry, | | | | - Buying Bulk REO Properties from Banks |
| you're about to discover how to take the risk out of | | | | Brokering Bulk REO Deals |
| buying Bulk REO's. | | | | Brokering Bulk REO deals is much easier to do than |
| Traditionally, most real estate investors are used to | | | | buying them from banks. A Bulk REO Broker or |
| going out and physically inspecting properties | | | | Trader (some people refer to them also as |
| themselves. I refer to these people as "touch & | | | | Syndicators) acts as a middleman between the seller |
| feel" investors. However, when you buy Bulk REO | | | | of a Bulk REO tape and a buyer. It is important to note |
| homes from banks, "touching and feeling" these homes | | | | that a professional license is NOT required to broker |
| are impossible to do when you're contracting to buy | | | | Bulk REO deals. |
| 30-500 homes or more scattered across the country. | | | | The great part about brokering Bulk REO deals is that |
| Therefore, you have to depend on others to go out in | | | | you don't have to use "Cash or Credit" to get |
| each local market and inspect the properties for you. | | | | started.Nor do you need an office, staff or car for that |
| I have been active doing Bulk REO deals for 15 | | | | matter and you can do it part-time from the comfort |
| months now. Traditionally, I am a "touch and feel" type | | | | of your home.Brokering Bulk REO deals only requires |
| of investor like many of my peers and it was hard for | | | | that you have a telephone, fax machine and a |
| me to adapt to buying properties "sight unseen" and | | | | computer. |
| not inspecting a property before I contracted to buy. | | | | Computer: Will be used to network with other Bulk |
| For that reason alone, I had no choice but to develop a | | | | REO Brokers, Bankers and Investors online. |
| system that would allow me to buy and sell Bulk REO | | | | Telephone: Will be used to communicate offline with |
| deals without ever looking at a single property but still | | | | the people you network with online. |
| feel comfortable along the way. | | | | Fax Machine: Used to send and receive all the |
| Why Are Banks Selling Off Bulk REO'S? | | | | documents and contracts when doing these deals. |
| Due to the U.S. economic meltdown and foreclosure | | | | How Do I Get Started Brokering Bulk REO'S? |
| crisis, banks across the country are failing. This has | | | | The first thing you have to do is understand the role of |
| created a unique opportunity to buy properties directly | | | | a Bulk REO Broker so you can find your niche to play. |
| from banks like never before. Today, banks all across | | | | There are two types of Bulk REO Brokers. The first is |
| America have BILLIONS of dollars in defaulted loans. | | | | a Seller's Rep and the other is a Buyers Rep. |
| As I write this report, there are over 1,905,723 | | | | A Buyer's Rep works exclusively with buyers who |
| foreclosure filings right now. If foreclosure filings | | | | are looking to take down tapes. They match their |
| continue at this pace we would have exceeded the 3 | | | | buyers with sellers of Bulk REO tapes and charge a |
| million foreclosure filings the U.S had in 2008. | | | | fee for their efforts for finding product for their buyer |
| When a borrower is in default of their mortgage note, | | | | to purchase. |
| the bank will move to foreclose on their home. The | | | | A Seller's Rep works exclusively with sellers looking |
| mortgage note is now considered non- performing and | | | | to sell Bulk REO tapes. The seller may be a bank, |
| becomes a liability on the banks balance sheets. | | | | private equity fund, hedge fund or a private investor. |
| Immediately the bank will hire an attorney to begin the | | | | The seller's rep will get paid a fee for their efforts at |
| foreclosure process. In addition to attorney's fees; if | | | | finding a buyer to buy the tape from the seller. |
| the homeowner in default fails to pay the hazardous | | | | Some Brokers work as both buyer and seller reps. |
| insurance policy, the property taxes and neglects to | | | | The hat they wear will depend on what lead source |
| maintain the property, the bank will have to step in and | | | | they have. If they have a source of product for sale, |
| pay those expenses as well. Some banks have | | | | they may become the seller's rep. If they have a |
| thousands of these properties and the financial burden | | | | serious buyer of Bulk REO product they may wear |
| is enormous. At this point the bank wants nothing more | | | | the hat of the buyer's rep. |
| but to get rid of this money pit! | | | | I have acted as both the buyer and seller rep and |
| The timeline to foreclose on a property will depend on | | | | made money. However, I prefer to wear the seller's |
| if the property is located in a judiciary or non-judiciary | | | | rep hat because my strength is creating marketing |
| State as we discussed in the Foreclosure Frenzy | | | | advertisements that sell Bulk REO product. Last |
| article. In a non-judiciary State, the process to | | | | month I closed on a small Bulk REO deal and made |
| foreclose is much faster and can be done in 2-3 | | | | $25,000 working as a seller's rep. It only took 4 hours |
| months, while in a judiciary State the process normally | | | | of work to get this deal done. |
| takes about 6-12 months. | | | | Let me explain how this deal worked: |
| Once the court has issued a "Notice of Judgment" in a | | | | Step 1 – Find The Product |
| judiciary State or a "Notice of Trustee Sale" in a | | | | A Bulk REO private seller called me about a small 24 |
| non-judiciary State, the bank will move to sell the | | | | home nationwide tape he had just taken down from a |
| property at the foreclosure auction. The foreclosure | | | | bank. He was asking $300,000 for the tape. |
| auction is normally handled by the local Sheriff's office. | | | | Step 2 – Find A Buyer |
| At auction, an opening bid on the property is set by the | | | | I passed on taking down the tape myself but decided |
| foreclosing lender. This opening bid is usually equal to | | | | to call a buyer I knew who was interested in taking |
| the outstanding loan balance, interest accrued, and any | | | | down a nationwide tape. My buyer was very |
| additional fees and attorney fees associated with the | | | | interested. |
| sale. If there are no bids higher than the opening bid, | | | | Step 3 – Arrange A Conference Call |
| the property will be purchased by the attorney working | | | | I arranged for my buyer and seller to talk about the |
| on behalf of the bank. | | | | particulars of the deal. The buyer provided verifiable |
| If this occurs, and the opening bid is not met, the | | | | Proof of Funds (POF) to my seller and the tape was |
| property is deemed a REO or Real Estate Owned. | | | | sent to him via email. |
| This typically occurs because many of the properties | | | | Step 4 - Due Diligence |
| up for sale at foreclosure auctions are worth less than | | | | The buyer conducted his due diligence in 3 days and |
| the total amount owed to the bank or lender. | | | | moved forward to take down the tape. |
| Banks have become accustomed to using this | | | | Step 5 – Master Fee Agreement |
| process to sell off foreclosure homes to remove them | | | | The seller and I signed the Master Fee Agreement to |
| from their books. These homes are considered | | | | pay me the difference between the seller's price of |
| "toxic-assets". Today, due to the U.S. foreclosure | | | | $300,000 to me and my sale price to my buyer for |
| frenzy, banks are plagued with these toxic-assets | | | | $325,000. |
| while the courts that handle these foreclosure | | | | Step 6 – Contract & Closing |
| proceedings are backed up making the foreclosure | | | | The buyer executed a contract and made |
| process take longer then ever before. | | | | arrangements to close the next day. Once the funds |
| With Federal Regulators breathing down the throats of | | | | were sent to my seller's Title Agent, I picked up a |
| banks to do something about all the defaulted loans on | | | | check for $25,000. |
| their books, banks are now seeking other | | | | The worst part about brokering Bulk REO deals is |
| non-traditional ways to get rid of their toxic assets | | | | finding [REAL] buyers and sellers. Most of my time is |
| such as selling their non-performing notes and pools of | | | | spent filtering through the fake buyers and sellers of |
| Bulk REO properties to investors. | | | | Bulk REO's. There are lots of fake buyers and sellers |
| This new approach of bundling up Bulk REO properties | | | | of Bulk REO who care nothing more than to waste |
| and selling them at steep discounts saves the banks | | | | your time. |
| the headache of continuing to pay for the property | | | | As a Broker you have to learn how to distinguish |
| taxes, hazardous insurance, utilities, maintenance cost | | | | between the real buyers and sellers of Bulk REO from |
| and more importantly, removes the toxic assets from | | | | the fake. There is an art to this and the better you are |
| the banks balance sheets enabling them to stay in | | | | at it, the fewer headaches you will have, the less time |
| compliance with Federal and State bank regulations. | | | | you will waste and ultimately the more money you will |
| What Are Bulk REO's? | | | | make. |