Obituary letter and Who to send to? - Posted by david

Posted by Corey (ND) on September 16, 2003 at 21:06:55:

I sold real estate a few years ago. Had a computer mailing list that I would send farming letters to for potential listings. I knew a gentleman had passed away about 4 months previous. I questioned as to weather I should send a letter to his house even though it was a bulk / general letter. NOT specifically targeted to his widow but more of a general type ad. WELL the lady got my letter. AND HOLY SMOKES was she mad. She listed the property about 2 weeks later with another agent in our office but forbid me to show the property or even step foot on it. I was amazed at how upset she was. She felt that I was trying to take advantage of her. I had thought that 4 months was generally enough time to “mourn” and it would be safe to send a general type ad to the house.
So there you have it. People will probably take it wrong. I would stick with probates.

Obituary letter and Who to send to? - Posted by david

Posted by david on September 15, 2003 at 22:32:22:

OK everyone. Since the obits (obituaries) come out on a daily basis in my town in NY I see that as being a possible niche for leads for motivated sellers. NOW, I go through whitepages.com to see if I can find the addresses of the homes that the people that died lived in. If I can find the address I send them a letter. Now my question…I would like anyone who has sent out mailings to obits to comment on my letter. How should I change it? (if at all) Should I mention my sorrow for their lose? AND I am reading the obits to see who survived the death person. Most times it is a son or daughter, maybe a husband. Then I am addressing my letters to that person(the person who survived the dead person). Is that how should I do it? Please help, my letter to the obits is below…THANKS in advance TEAM…

David Investor

September 15, 2003

Dear “John”,

Your property at 22 Glen pl. is just what I am looking for. Would you be interested in selling it for cash, if I can close within 14 days? If so, there’s no closing costs or fee to you.

Please understand I can only buy a few properties each month. When you are ready to sell, call me as soon as possible because I am looking at several homes to buy in that same neighborhood.

You may be saying, “my house needs repairs” or “my house isn’t perfect”. Guess what? That’s fine! Repairs and renovations are just my cup of tea! I buy properties that need some tender love and caring.

If you want an offer on your property, call me on my cell number (which is the best way to contact me) at xxx-xxx-xxxx. Just ask for David!

David Investor
(xxx) xxx-xxxx Cell
XXXXXX@yahoo.com E-mail

P.S.-Do not worry, there are no fees or commissions to pay either. I am just interested in your property and would be happy just to chat with you for a few minutes to see if there is anything I can do to help you solve your real estate situation. Please call me today.

Yours Truly,

David investor

Re: Obituary letter and Who to send to? - Posted by Nick O

Posted by Nick O on September 17, 2003 at 10:15:57:

What I would do is drive by the house and see if it is vacant or looks uncared for (high grass, ect…) Then just send a letter stating that you drove by there house it looked uncared for and if there interested in selling to call you because you buy unwanted houses. That way they don’t think your writing them because of the death of a loved one. Good luck!
Nick O

Re: Obituary letter and Who to send to? - Posted by Kristine-CA

Posted by Kristine-CA on September 16, 2003 at 15:07:39:

David: I’m going to suggest that you not target obits and not send your letter. First of all, death of an individual does not necessarily indicate the sale of a property. Especially if there is a surviving spouse. So I think this is a wasted targeting effort. Secondly, you do not want to be associated with the the mourning period of the heirs. I think most people would not appreciate hearing from investors during this period. When people are ready to deal with the estate via a probate, etc. is when they have faced the reality of dealing with the decedent’s property.

It is my feeling if you send the sample letter above to close to the date of the appearance of the obituary that heirs will associate you with trying to take advantage of the situation. However, contacting families with properties in probate or those who have just inherited has worked for me.

Hope this helps. Sincerely, Kristine

Re: Obituary letter and Who to send to? - Posted by david

Posted by david on September 16, 2003 at 16:40:45:

So how/when do you suggest I try to get in contact with them? And how do I know when probate starts? let me know…thanks

Re: Obituary letter and Who to send to? - Posted by Kristine-CA

Posted by Kristine-CA on September 17, 2003 at 09:33:05:

I use listings of new probate filings and probate decrees to generate a small mailing each month. That information is available online where I am. More than likely you will have to go down to the courthouse to find such information.

Sincerely, Kristine