OfflineI had a doctors appointment today and decided to drive a different route on the way home. I ended up cutting through a nice subdivision and found two vacant homes, side by side, that looks as if they were abandoned by the builders and have never been occupied.
The first house looks as if it is completed, the yard had been sodded, but the grass is high and looks untended. There is a nice iron fence around the front and the gate is open.
On the second house, the exterior seems to be finished, but from the looks of things, I got the feeling that maybe the job was halted before completion. The yard has not been sodded. There is scrap material scattered about. A cheap wire fence is around the property with a 'no trespassing' sign out front.
I have the street name and zip, but there is no house number/address on either of the houses. I knocked on a door across the street and got no anwser. Once home, I went online to the Harris Co. Tax Office, thinking I might find info there, but had no luck...the addresses I guessed at (based on address across the street)did not come up. I'll call the tax office tomorrow and try to talk to someone. Also went to Zillow with no luck.
Just for fun, I looked up a few houses on that street, and they run from 200K to 500K. I'll go back tomorrow and see if I can find a neighbor at home to talk with. But if I strike out with the neighbors and the tax office...where do I go from there?
I am new at this and really don't know what I'm doing, but I would certainly like to pursue this. Does anyone have any ideas on how to track down the builders/owner? Any suggestion will be appreciated.
Also, on the same drive home, but a different subdivision, I found another house with potential. The house is vacant, windows are taped up (for Ike?), the grass is high. I didn't see a realtor sign in the yard, but it has a lockbox on the front door. No sign anywhere in sight. I did find it on Zillow and the online county tax office. It's 2 story, red brick, corner lot, 3br, 2.5 bath, and the tax appraisal is 135K. I've got the owners name now, but no new address. I'm hoping it won't be too hard to track him down.
So, altogether, it was an interesting drive home! lol! I'll have to do this more often.
To any newbie out there who is wondering how to get started, I highly recommend Deans books. I've read BARM, and now I'm in the middle of 'Profit From Real Estate Now!' Boy, oh boy!! He's not kidding when he says he'll give you step by step how-to info. It's in there! I am so jazzed! Get the books! Do the deals!!
Happy investing to all.
Sandi
Those who kill time murder opportunity.
"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospers." III John 2
"To get up each morning with the Resolve To Be Happy is to set our own conditions to the events of the day. To do this is to condition circumstances instead of being conditioned by them." Ralph Waldo Emerson
About those two side-by-side vacant houses with no addresses...I called the Harris Co Tax Office this morning, and the lady there, Robin, could not find any info on either house. She also needed a house number. Robin referred me to the Appraisal District. So, I called them, talked to Charlotte...same story...no house number, no info. So the question popped into my head and I asked Charlotte who assigned the street address to a new property?? She says, "Oh, the electric company does that." I didn't know that, did you?
So, I call Centerpoint Energy and finally talked to a lady in the 'Maps & something' department. And there was some confusion about the property. Seems like they are showing only one house on that big lot - meaning they have assigned only one address, when clearly there are two houses. Don't know how they will resolve that. But, now I have at least one address, and I will go with that and see what I can learn about the owners. Wish me luck.
Those who kill time murder opportunity.
"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospers." III John 2
"To get up each morning with the Resolve To Be Happy is to set our own conditions to the events of the day. To do this is to condition circumstances instead of being conditioned by them." Ralph Waldo Emerson
I just listened to a webseminar and he talk about finding homes that have a lock box but no for sale sign yet. You could of just found a property that is not listed on the market yet. If you haven't done so, set yourself up with a Title Co. and then they will let you pull up info on the property. Find out which bank is holding the loan and call them and find out whose going to be the listing agent. Contact listing agent and tell him/her your interested and he/she can represent you and use coastal-funding and do a double close. Or pass the info you found out to someone else for a finders fee, if your not to the point of going through a deal yet.
Something like that. Hope that helps.
Jason S.
San Diego, CA.
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You might be able to figure out the assessors parcel number (APN) by doing some searching thru the County map books - we are able to access them online here, so I can do my homework when others are sleeping. I have been able to find APNs by doing this and that gives me a better reference number to provide to the entities, etc when I cannot locate a house number.
Good luck and keep us posted on what you find.
Happy hunting!
In His strength and time -
d
I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers ME [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into ME; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency]. Phil 4:13 AMP
Thanks for the good info. I'll go to title company tomorrow - the one we used when we closed on our primary res a few years ago. I'm so excited. Don't know if I'm 'ready' to do a deal yet (as in having all my ducks in a row), but if the opportunity arises, I will take it and just do the best I can. I'm thinking wholesale to another invester. I appreciate you sharing. Thanks so much!
Sandi
Those who kill time murder opportunity.
"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospers." III John 2
"To get up each morning with the Resolve To Be Happy is to set our own conditions to the events of the day. To do this is to condition circumstances instead of being conditioned by them." Ralph Waldo Emerson
At this point, I'm willing to try anything. Harris County is pretty progressive - a lot of stuff online. So, if I'm able to find this APN, how would I use it? Would I go back to the co. tax or appraisers office?
Just curious...I'm located close to Houston TX, where are you? And how did you learn about APNs and searching county map books?? Have you been investing for awhile? Anyway, I do appreciate the good advice. Thanks a lot.
Sandi
Those who kill time murder opportunity.
"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospers." III John 2
"To get up each morning with the Resolve To Be Happy is to set our own conditions to the events of the day. To do this is to condition circumstances instead of being conditioned by them." Ralph Waldo Emerson
Yes, should be able to - I can pull the tax/assessor info online or go to the tax/assessor's office and get the info from them in person. You should also be able to go to your County's recorded documents website or in their office to see the info on the deed, etc. The APN is used on all of the documents related to the property.
In His strength and time -
d
I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers ME [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into ME; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency]. Phil 4:13 AMP