Myth #1 – You need a huge advertising budget.

Nope. You can use free tools like a blog, Facebook, LinkedIn and low-cost direct mail to generate leads. It just takes a little bit of time and persistence to build a buyer’s list. You can get some step-by-step instructions in all of these methods in my REI Marketing Secrets course here. Here are a few articles on generating leads without spending a lot of money: 1) How to Find Cash Buyers 2) Working an Absentee Buyer List 3) Mobile Marketing for Real Estate Investors.

Myth #2 – You need to be totally tech-savvy.

Nope, again. If you can send an email, attach a file and upload pictures to the Web, you have all the skills you need to set up a website, auto responder email campaigns, a Facebook page, run Facebook ads, etc. Overcoming the mentality that you need lots of coding experience is a big step toward becoming successful with online marketing. That course I told you about above walks you through this step-by-step. Also, you can view my free webinar on blogging for business here. (Plus, I teach you how to set up your blog and give you seven no-cost ways to promote your blog. It’s well worth the 98 minutes.)

Myth #3 – You need to be a graphic design genius.

Nope, a third time. You don’t need a big branding campaign to promote you. You are your brand. Can you get a picture taken? Bada bing. You have a brand. Occasionally, you may need a graphic for an ad or for your website. You can use free tools like Picnik and Flickr Creative Commons license images to create these images. You can also hire cheap talent on sites like Fiverr.com or this new site I just came across called fotokoi.com where you can request the image you need for as little as $2 per image. It doesn’t get much easier than that.

Myth #4 – Marketing consists of bugging people.

I’m going to change my answer to NO on this one. Yep, a great big capital N and O. If you use this excuse, marketing will never work for you. As long as the information you are sharing supports your value statement and provides the prospect this value, you’re doing it right. Oh yeah, and be sure you follow the rules. If you do those two things – follow the rules and provide value, you’ll present information and opportunities. Stop the worrying and start the sharing.

Myth #5 – You have to be at the top of the Google rankings to be found online & you have to pay a lot of money to get there.

This is probably the biggest myth out there. You don’t have to be number one on Google for anything in order to have an effective, direct response website that is generating leads for your business.

Myth #6 – Facebook is for kids and not for investors.

Totally wrong. Facebook is hot and if you’re not on it, you’re losing out on a huge opportunity to connect with potential investors. If you don’t believe in the power of Facebook, think about it for a minute. They have hundreds of millions of users that share content all the time. When someone likes your page or your content, their friends see it. This builds credibility and interest for you. Here’s a free guide to building a buyer’s list on Facebook.

Myth #7 – The SEC will shut you down for soliciting private money partners.

I alluded to this in Myth #4. It’s true that the SEC will shut you down if you don’t follow their marketing rules. However, you can market for investors and be in complete compliance. One of the big rules is that you can’t advertise your opportunity for 45 days. You can find more about the private money marketing rules at GettingTheMoney.com.

Don’t let the myths keep you from marketing to make money. You can use simple, low-cost online and offline tools to grow your real estate investment business if you take the time to offer value and follow the rules. Shake off these myths and make 2012 your best year yet.

Building a responsive buyers list is hands down the best way to succeed in wholesaling.  And when those buyers have cash – whoa Nellie!

Here’s a simple 5-step method guaranteed to build you a FREE list of cash buyers:

1. Search the MLS (you or someone that has access such as a Realtor, appraiser or friend) for properties that have the words “Cash Only”, “Cash Offer” or “Cash” under the “financing” section of the listing.

2. In the criteria, make sure that you select only listings with a status of “closed” not pending, active, or expired.

3. This report will show you all the MLS transactions in your area that closed for cash! Yeah, baby!

4. Search the property address on the corresponding County Tax Assessor’s website.

5. The new owner of record will appear with their mailing address.

You now have a cash buyer, the address of the property purchased and their mailing address!

Take some time to build this database and start mailing postcards or yellow letters to them immediately letting them know that you have great deals on houses.

Send out one more direct mail to 60-90 past due homeowners. Fannie and Freddie as well as big banks like Wells Fargo are taking a holiday from foreclosures. You can get a head start on helping distressed sellers by targeting your existing list with an end-of-the-year postcard. Here’s a primer on the perfect direct mail.

Get an exercise routine/nutrition plan in place. You can’t be your best if you don’t have a way to reduce stress, improve your appearance and keep your health in check. Exercise and proper diet can do that. By taking steps before the end of the year, you’re more likely to be in the habit before the New Year. So many people make resolutions for better health and then fail. Don’t let it be a resolution; let it be part of your lifestyle.

Define what success means to you in 2012. Without a clear vision for success, you’re not likely to focus your efforts on the right priorities. Now is the time to set some clear goals and identify what will make you successful in the New Year. Here are three resources on setting your sites on success: 1) Metrics & Visualizing Your Partners 2) Why REI Leads You to Riches – If You Let It 3) 10 Steps to Success in Your Investment Business

Learn about three new marketing techniques. One of the keys to success in real estate investment is the proper mix of marketing. If you rely on the same old, same old, your marketing is going to get stale. That’s why I recommend you learn about three new techniques and pick one to try next year. Learning will give you ideas and help you find new ways to refresh your current marketing strategies. Need some inspiration? Here are a few recent posts on marketing to help spark ideas: 1) Mobile Marketing for Real Estate Investors 2) Reaching the Top of the Local Search Listings 3) Social Media Shortcuts for Real Estate Investors

Examine a new investment niche. There’s something to be said about focusing on your niche to propel your profits, but if you never step outside your comfort zone, you could be missing out on opportunities. That’s why now is a great time to examine a new investment niche. Some ideas – Bulk REO (foreclosures are expected to skyrocket this coming year) and the Master Lease Option (a low-cost, low-risk way to get into commercial investing – and my favorite strategy).

What are you doing to propel your profits in 2012?

http://www.huduser.org/portal/datasets/fmr/fmrs/FY2012_code/select_Geography.odn

You have two ways to search – by county or by metropolitan area (MSA).

In this article, I’ll provide a primer on working an absentee owner list. Let’s get started.

Build your list. Several services offer you pay-by-the-lead absentee owner address lists. They do the work of finding rentals with owners out of town and give you their name and contact information. Some of the better sources are ListSource.com and YellowLettersComplete.com. You can also use title company “farm lists” to search for properties that meet this criteria.

Create your direct mail. One way to catch attention is to take an actual picture of the property in its current state and send it to the owner. Your message would be to give them the benefits of selling – fixing it up, cleaning it up, not dealing with tenants any longer, etc. The idea is to make your target seller “get the bug” to sell.

In my personal direct mail postcard to absentee owners, I give them the benefits of no closing costs, no commissions and a 48-hour turnaround on their money. These tactics are motivating and capture attention. I inject a bit of humor by letting them know that my mother-in-law will help them pack. It’s a way to make a connection with an unknown seller. The other key to my direct mail is that I emphasize that I am a private investor – not a realtor. This takes away the idea that I’m in this for the commission. I’m here to help them, and that’s the message I convey.

What not to say. Don’t create a direct mail piece that over promises and over sells what you do. If it looks like hype, your carefully crafted postcard or letter will end up in the trash faster than you can say absentee owner.

Here are a few tips to avoid the hype:

1. Focus on the benefits. No commissions, no closing costs, no costs to the seller to let go of this property.
2. Focus on the reasons to let go of a property. No more showing properties, no more calls at 3 a.m. for broken appliances or air conditioning, no more headaches.
3. Focus on the ease of transition. We’ll clean it. You simple collect cash and hand over the keys. It’s a no hassle sale.

The perfect communication schedule. In marketing, it can take some time to catch attention and develop a rapport with absentee owners. You may have to contact them many times before they bite. It’s persistence that captures more sales from this method. A good rule of thumb is to communicate with your prospective sellers on a quarterly basis. And for the cost of printing and mailing a simple postcard, it’s worth continuing this cost-effective sales method. They key is to keep it up and keep the message on how it benefits the seller.