I have been reading this forum for some time now. At first I doubted everyone here was making real money with mobile homes. Now I am a believer. I bought both of the lonnie books & huge profits( used on amazon was way cheaper… sorry guys).
I am very excited to get started and I know after I get the books and read them I will have some questions. Everyone on here seems very helpful so I am looking forward to the answers.
Thanks in advance,
Walter
Walter, good luck with your endeavors.
After you make great money on your first Lonnie deal, I expect you to be so pleased that you send him the $30 you saved by buying the book elsewhere.
Anne
I received the books a few days ago and have begun reading them. I finished Deals on Wheels and then it hit me. Am I in training to be a used car salesman? I guess I have a moral objection to alot of the techniques described in the book. I do see the merit if all you care about is getting your piece, but I was under the impression that this whole “business” was about providing affordable housing while establishing a cash flow. Needless to say I am pretty disappointed. I guess my next step is to figure out if I can adjust the model to fit into something I am comfortable doing. I don’t know if I can read the other Lonnie book so I guess I am on to Huge Profits. Hope this one turns out better.
Do you all follow the techniques described? Do you really do "The Squirrel Dog Technique? Do you try to sell your old unwanted cars, etc. with a home as a package deal, or finance carpet, skirting?
Yes I do! It is called capitalism, and it provides goods to consumers more efficiently, more effectively, and at a lower cost than any other method ever devised by mankind. Try it, you’ll like it!
Walter,
You bring up an interesting point - the need for salesmanship. Obviously all products and services need to sell in order for money to change hands - so sales in and of itself is not your objection. You seem bothered by what you call “used car” tactics.
Here’s my 2 cents as a lifelong salesperson. My sales philosophy can be boiled down into two basic cornerstones:
You will need to become good at using 3rd party “higher authority” or “indirect pressure” to determine your prospects interest level. Most prospects will NOT shoot you straight because ALL buyers (you and me included) fear making a mistake with our money. You see, with money we all have choices, once we commit our money to a product or service the choice has been made and that purchase money is now GONE. You will need to become good at asking people to share with you their true thoughts without them feeling pressured by YOU. Otherwise you will truly be wasting THEIR time and yours.
ALWAYS deliver more then you promise. You want to make deals - represent your sale in its worst light without scaring the prospect away. You might be surprised about how much time I spend going over the “bad stuff” with a prospect. They will be pleasantly surprised and more likely to close the deal if they find that the product is actually better then how I describe it. Even fully rehabbed homes are sold as “minor handyman specials”. Why? Because people freak out about how nice it is when you tell them they may need to do some light work in order to make the home their own. Since you promised problems and delivered without problems you should not have a moral dilemma on you hands. If you do, sales might not be in your bloodstream which will make your business venture miserable and destined to fail.
My point is this - many of Lonnie’s techniques are sound advice but you will need to know WHEN and HOW to use these tools. It takes a “special” person to be good at sales without coming off as what you call a “used car salesman”. A bad salesperson is easy to identify - a good one is so good that you do not even know that you are being sold. To be brutally honest with you, sales is more important then any other facet of any business. You could have the best widget in the world but if you can not find prospects and convince them that their money is well spent then the widget will unfortunately fail.
Good luck in your education and new business,
Karl
Post Edited (04-29-08 14:56)
Walter,
That
Walter, Personally I’ve never used the squirrel dog technique… old cars, appliances, skirting… never done it. What I have learned to do, and done, is buy homes at wholesale prices and resell at a higher price to people who might not be able to buy any other way. It may sound cliche but it’s win-win. No moral compromise there.
Don’t be so literal, the book is a framework.
Step 1 - Turn off the TV and get off the couch.
Step 2 - Visit some parks, chat up some park managers and residents (Make sure the you and the PM are on the same page).
Step 3 - Figure out what homes sell for.
Step 4 - Start talking to some people who NEED to sell (you’ll recognize them when you see them).
Step 5 - Let them name a price that is half or less than what you can sell for (it may take several visits for them to “come out of their coma”. Some never will… move on.)
(NOTE: No matter what, especially at first, resist the temptation to buy a junker and fix it up. There is no need to buy any junkers.! Repeat that several times).
Step 6 - Use signs, Craigslist, Pennysaver, pamphlets in the local gas stop, door hangers in the park etc to find someone who wants to buy on terms and has some cash for a down payment.
Step 7 - Get them approved by the park, collect the down, sign papers for the rest.
Step 8 - Rinse and repeat.
Yes there are details to be filled in but that’s basically it. If at any time you feel you are not acting in an ethical manner, stop, it’s not necessary. You are buying at wholesale, selling at retail just like Wal-Mart (ok that may not be a good example) or any retailer. What you are selling is not the home, it’s the opportunity to buy that your market would not ever have trying to do it conventionally.
Take a deep breath, read the books, adapt a bit (tiny bit) to your market and psyche. Go have some fun.
Lyal
All,
I appreciate the comments.
Shawn, as a business owner I understand capitalism; I feel that it takes accountability, responsibility and morality for it to work properly. I am not saying that the business or people involved are not these things.
Karl W., I agree that sales is the cornerstone of business. When it comes right down to it everyone is selling something. I agree that over delivering is a must in any transaction where you are the seller. As I said above I am a business owner and that has always been my policy.
Karl K, I don
“He sells it again for cash: $6,250.00 and the buyer makes $2,000.00 in improvements. Would It have hurt him to buy the home back for $6,000.00?, or $5,000.00? No.”
Walter, This is just bad business, it’s not about helping someone! I’ve given folks second chances, third chances, loaned folks money to keep their power on, got homes back, and done many things in this business… Non of it has been free of charge other than to teach others what Lonnie has taught me and so many others! It’s not for everyone and I believe fully that you are one of those folks. My advice to you is to spend your money getting a higher education and a good job that will provide a comfortable retirement.
The only down fall to higher education is that when you go to work for someone else they buy your time from you and sell it at a higher rate to someone else… wait isn’t that exactly what Lonnie does??? If you want to succeed as a business owner in this business or any other you need to understand simple economics and how businesses STAY IN BUSINESS, it’s not by giving someone something for nothing… That’s called communism and well that system has proved faulty.
Best wishes,
Ryan Needler
Walter,
You sold them a home and charged them interest. Why would you “buy the home back” and give back what you earned? Nothing to feel guilty about.
I have taken homes back and resold them countless times. I have some that I’ve sold 6 or 8 times (hard to keep track at this point). Some people I gave “moving money”. Others I gave nothing mostly depending on the condition of the home. I tell them (in writing*) up front that if they bail on me for any reason, THERE ARE NO REFUNDS! They understand from day 1.
When they call and tell me they are leaving (and some will ask me to “buy it back”), I remind them of the policy and also tell them they are welcome to sell the home and pay me off (just had one do this 2 mos ago). If they aren’t willing to make that effort, I’m not going to do it for them. This is not “waiting them out”. They know what’s coming. If they want to make the effort to sell the home and maybe get a few bucks back, they’re welcome to. If they want more time, no problem, make another payment. Small price to pay. The majority of people we deal with will take the easiest route which is to load the truck and drive away.
If you quit making payments on a house and have 50% equity, is the bank going to buy you out at full market value or anything close, nope. You have pledged the home as collateral on the loan and they’ll claim the collateral if you fail. Same with anything you buy, car, boat, whatever. As long as that’s understood up front, I won’t lose a moments sleep.
You are an idealist … nothing wrong with that but it’s a grown up world and we all need to step up and take care of business. In any commercial transaction (that’s what this is) everyone needs to understand up front what is expected and what happens if the expectations are not met and then abide by the agreement.
Sorry so long, Lyal
Once again the comments are appreciated.
Ryan, If you will read my post thoroughly you will see that I stated that buying the home for the $3,000.00 was the smart, business savvy route. You should also note that I stated on two different occasions that I currently operate my own business. Therefore there is no need for me to continue my education in order to obtain a good job. When I was in college one of the things I learned was to completely read the information provided. I feel you need to do a little research on what communism is and what it isn
Walter, I wish you the best with your business and I’m not going to fight tit for tat so that you can stir the mud some more here, this business has been good to me and many of my friends… That’s enough for me!
My comment regarding communism was not directed at you or anyone else, it was based on the fact that everyone in a true communistic society has exactly the same and wealth would be shared by everyone. Lyal did a better job describing it with the word “idealist”. If you really feel this strongly about how we make a living by helping others get what they want (and couldn’t get any other way in most cases) send me a PM and I’ll refund the money you spent on the book and give it to someone who will benefit from it.
Best wishes,
Ryan Needler
Walter,
At your suggestion, I re-read Lonnie
"I have no problem with buying at wholesale and selling at retail. I would have a problem with lying to people. For example, telling a buyer I would have to check with my wife, partner or using the article from above telling a customer that I can
Wow…this thread has really stirred up a lot of emotions!
Part of my long term personal mission statement is to provide affordable, decent housing for some of the people in our society that are currently being left out of home ownership. When I came across DOW, it was a perfect fit for me.
Some of the techniques are new to me. Some are outside of my comfort zone. But I will follow them as closely as I can…because Lonnie has walked the path that I want to. I want to benefit from his years of experience.
Now, after I learn what the heck I’m doing, through the experience of a handful of deals, I may start tweeking things here and there and seeing if I can get better results, or be more comfortable with myself, but I will always be looking at my long term goal…decent, affordable housing.
Those feelings of being a used car salesman are right on the money though…these tin boxes basically ARE used cars! 
Seriously, I personally have no issues using these techniques as a means to an end. If I don’t use these techniques, the family will continue to live in their current situation where they have absolutely ZERO equity. And more importantly, most of the customers we will serve don’t have the financial education to make a lot of the right choices for themselves without a little guidance.
A long time ago I received a really good bit of business advice when dealing with the financially uneducated: They are going to spend every penny they have on SOMETHING. It might as well be on what you are selling. Then you can turn around and do something good with the profits.
Just my rambling 2 cents.
Walter,
Referring to you as an idealist was not a criticism, just a description.
To your point on setting up people to fail, I can only say nope… I have lots of buyer success stories who have satisfied their end of the deal and paid off… and a few that have “traded up” with me and gotten credit for the principle they paid (not interest) towards a newer, bigger home. And yes, some people exasperate me by leaving a mess but luckily there isn’t much you can’t fix pretty cheaply.
As far as commerce, let me ask you a question… when you buy a car or a used appliance, or anything for that matter, is it fair that you negotiate the best deal you can for yourself? It’s understood that there is a certain amount of honor involved. You don’t take advantage of anyone who is mentally challenged, you are completely honest about the condition (Avoiding things like “Nope, they were all sold without brakes that year”…)… but you have an idea what it’s worth to you and the seller can take it or leave it. After you agree on the price, would you offer to pay more?? I think not.
We are ready, willing buyers and we offer what it’s worth to us. The seller can take it or leave it. If he takes our deal, we have just established the market value of the home. Then we “add value” (financing) and resell the item to a ready, willing buyer who can take or leave the deal. We have established the market value of the item (home with easy financing). If the original seller could have offered financing he could have reaped the reward.
All the best, Lyal
Walter,
Welcome to the world of investing. I too had and have issues with some of the techniques suggested in DOW. In fact, after reading it, I shelved it for a year.
I re-read it a year later, edited out the parts I didn’t like and came up with the essential nuggets as outlined by previous posters in this thread. I have been doing this now for 6 yrs and have resigned my $140K/yr part-time helping-others JOB.
My desire and training is to help people. If you read some of my threads here and elsewhere, you will find that I have learned and enjoyed becoming a businessman not just a bleeding-heart do-gooder. Bleeding hearts do not help others, they only enable their continued poor choices.
You are a business owner thus have to make smart decisions regularly. If you were in the military (which has a habit causing people to move frequently) would you buy a mobile home for cash and spend $2000 fixing it up? Then, on short notice, expect to sell it back to the original owner or anyone else for what you’ve got in it? If I were the original seller and did that, I would enable the military man to go do this again. Perhaps he would spend even more money the next time and get burned even worse when he can’t sell his home for what he has in it.
A short-term benefit often precludes a long term benefit.
Now I help others in a different way. I provide affordable housing to those in need. I also take some of the money and invest in non-profits that provide long-term benefits to mankind. Look at the model of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. No quick-fixes.
Steve
We should all give. In order to do so, I must have someting to give: no one would ever heard of the Good Samaritan if he were too broke to pay the innkeeper.
I didn
Walter,
You are getting hung up on the details. I have never felt comfortable saying I was looking for a MH for a young couple because I look way too young to take that kind of grandfatherly tone. Lonnie, on the other hand, is the archetypal grandfather. He probably IS looking for a home for a young couple.
In my case, I just went in to the PM and told her the truth: I rehab houses and I keep getting calls from people who want to sell me MHs. I’ve decided to look into this MH business, and did she mind if I bought a MH, fixed it up to her (the PM’s) specifications, and then sold it to an owner-occupant who would be approved by the park and would sign a lease. My company would hold the lien on the title. She liked that and we did good business until her park was bought by ARC.
Ironically, I pretty much do nothing but sell to young couples just starting out, so had I used that line convincingly, I would have been telling the truth (I should also have said I was looking for a home for strippers, out of work construction workers, avon ladies, and deadbeats).
Re-read DOW a few times, try to understand the business model that underlies it. That book is a gem, and the real truth of what Lonnie is saying will not reveal itself to you with just one reading.
Anne