Posted by Joe Kaiser on July 29, 2006 at 22:15:11:
You don’t want to actually say “Plan B.”
Instead, say, “I’m glad to hear you have this taken care of, but do you
have a back-up plan just in case things don’t work out?”
Joe
My first door knocking of many more. - Posted by Drew(Va)
Posted by Drew(Va) on July 25, 2006 at 19:17:46:
Let’s just say I was very very nervous, but what’s the worst that can happen, she says No. The house was in the paper for foreclosure, slated for auction in 2 weeks, so since it was down the street I drove down there. Took me a little while to find the courage, but once I did, I knocked, introduced myself, said I saw her house was in foreclosure and asked if she was interested in selling. Of course I got the expected result, “No it’s already been taken care of, I’m not interested.” Yet another victim of foreclosure too embarassed or in touch with reality to realize what’s going on. Looks like it’s time to start mailing her letters in case it’s not “taken care of” like she thought.
Re: My first door knocking of many more. - Posted by Natalie-VA
Posted by Natalie-VA on July 26, 2006 at 19:03:44:
Drew,
Weren’t you just giving me advice about getting to people in foreclosure the other day? I think you mentioned a letter you use that gets results. Have you tried that particular letter? Keep in mind that these people are getting A LOT of mailings. Yours would really have to stand out and the stars would need to allign.
Forget that lady and move on to the next door. Knock on 99 more doors and let us know how you did. Get a deal and assign it to me. 
It’s about the numbers. You should be a pro by then!
–Natalie
Re: My first door knocking of many more. - Posted by BTI
Posted by BTI on July 26, 2006 at 10:57:22:
Drew
Some of these people actually believe things are taken care of due to lenders statements. My yougest brother was hit in the head by a large item falling from an overhead at work, and about the same time his wife at the time was laid-off.
One day I had stopped by to see how he was doing when the doorbell rang and he asked me to get it. It was an investor chasing a foreclosure, I told him everything was being taken care of and it wouldn’t be going to the trustee sale.
I asked my brother what was going on and he said he had gotten behind but everything was ok, the banker several months back had issued something so the bank wouldn’t be bugging him while he got better, and that would be a while because to him 1+1=29 at the time.
The banker also told him the trustee sale notice was a way to stop the bank from bothering him for several weeks. They actually thought this nice banker was looking out for them.
My older brother and I cleaned things up and then we went down my street a few doors to visit the president of the bank, the boss of the soon to be ex-employee.
Everything is fine now, my youngest brother is now an investor, and only hears bells half the time now.
BTI
Re: My first door knocking of many more. - Posted by IB (NJ)
Posted by IB (NJ) on July 26, 2006 at 10:21:01:
Check with the sheriff and see if the case has been dismissed. If not, I like Brad’s suggestion.
Re: My first door knocking of many more. - Posted by Brad Crouch
Posted by Brad Crouch on July 26, 2006 at 03:12:36:
Drew,
Joe Kaiser has a pretty good way to handle this type of thing. Simply
ask the homeowner if they have a plan B. You know . . . “have you an
alternate plan in case anything should go wrong with the plans you
already have?” (a backup plan)
Hope this helps,
Brad
Re: My first door knocking of many more. - Posted by David (Los Angeles)
Posted by David (Los Angeles) on July 26, 2006 at 24:12:46:
I’m not sure that “the worst that can happen” is that she says “No.” She COULD open the door just wide enough to let the pit bulls squeeze out… Not that it’s happened to me.
With 2 weeks to go before the auction, I think going from knocking on the door to sending letters is the wrong tactic. Either she really does have it taken care of (many do), or she doesn’t. If she doesn’t, and she told you at the door that she wasn’t interested, what makes you think she’s going to be contacting you because a letter that she can toss without opening shows up in her mailbox?
Now that you’ve established that she isn’t one of those pitbull people, you are better off contacting her in person, if you think she really doesn’t have it handled. I’d figure out some reason to go back, and not be in such a hurry to get off the porch this time.
Plan B. - Posted by Drew(VA)
Posted by Drew(VA) on July 26, 2006 at 16:17:00:
I threw that line in there at the end of our quick conversation, she again said she wasn’t interested. So I just slipped my business card into her open window of her car just in case she wasn’t sure what I meant by a Plan B. Never hurts.
Drew
Re: My first door knocking of many more. - Posted by Drew(VA)
Posted by Drew(VA) on July 26, 2006 at 16:22:27:
In my city all foreclosures are nonjudical so they go from default to auction fast. Trustee changes and in 2 weeks it hits the auction. I just figure persistance is the best way to approach it. She maybe nervous when some stranger shows up to help her out, and who knows how many other investors already bothered her that day. So a well written letter explaining what she wouldn’t let me say in person could be a more subtle approach, allowing her to think before she acts and not be put on the spot. A stamp to potentially tie up 70K in equity sounds like a good trade off. After all, motivation usually appears when desperation kicks in. If at first you don’t succeed, try until the auction comes.
Drew