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Hand-lettered WE BUY HOUSES signs- do people actually respond?


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2012 Jul 26, 9:15am   9,022 views  12 comments

by Automan Empire   ➕follow (1)   💰tip   ignore  

Can't speak for the rest of the state, but here in Los Angeles, a common feature of the public landscape is hand-lettered WE BUY HOUSES signs.

These have been around for at least 10 years. They tend to be placed on freeway offramps where cars stop, and fences/poles in unincorporated areas where they don't get removed promptly by city workers.

What I want to know is, WHY DO THESE LOOK LIKE THEY WERE MADE HASTILY BY A CHEERLEADER ON DETENTION? You are soliciting a 6-figure transaction, why is the sign scrawled hastily with a thin pen?

Does the "amateur look" assuage nervous people who might not call off a "professional" looking sign? Are these "graduates" of bogus real estate gurus like Robert Allen?

Seriously, what is the deal with all of the amateur "We buy houses" signs out there?

#housing

Comments 1 - 12 of 12        Search these comments

1   Automan Empire   2012 Jul 26, 9:16am  


Had trouble uploading image, sorry.

2   Patrick   2012 Jul 26, 9:29am  

Automan Empire says

Had trouble uploading image, sorry.

My fault, will fix.

3   gbenson   2012 Jul 26, 10:32am  

Glad I am not the only one that thought that. I read an article a few months ago about a lady trying stuff like this. The crux of the article was actually on auction sites (no deals there either), but she talked about this strategy as well. She basically said she got like 2-3 calls a month on these types of signs, most of which expected her to pay close to full market value and close in a week. Can't recall if she every actually bought one using this method or not, but I have never met anyone who has.

Seems like the the only time it would make sense would be if the person had a fairly significant amount of equity in the property and needed money quick to avoid a foreclosure. (Something beats nothing)

4   leo707   2012 Jul 26, 10:45am  

My guess is that people who post those signs are looking for desperate home owners who they can manipulate into getting a steep discount in buying the home.

The sign its self filters out probably 100s of people who would respond to a more "professional" sign; 100s of people who are not incredibly desperate or stupid, i.e., people who will not buy into whatever scam the sign owner is pushing.

Only the most desperate and foolish are going to respond to a sign like that. Just the right demographic that the sign maker is looking for.

5   Randy H   2012 Jul 26, 11:20am  

According to a quick search, they're called "bandit signs" and are used by your typical low life RE types trying to generate leads.

http://www.biggerpockets.coms/87/topics/53775-using-handwritten-bandit-signs

6   zzyzzx   2012 Jul 27, 12:10am  

I had read someplace that it's people trying to find suckers who will sell them their house for around 60% if it's fair market value.

7   MisdemeanorRebel   2012 Jul 27, 12:45am  

Man, Randy, what a hoot that link is.

From various posts at Randy H's link above:

I decided to try something new this week to market a wholesale property; handwritten "bandit" signs. In the past we have used "We Buy Houses" bandit signs for finding deals. I really am not a big fan of this whole process to be quite honest. I hate putting those signs out! After the last time I subjected myself to feeling like a "bandit" on the run, I had decided that if I ever were to use bandit signs again I would hire someone to put them up for me.

Another realwhore:

I would recommend using a google voice number since they are free and very hard to track back to you ( less worries of getting a fine). Ive put up over 600 signs in my area and never gotten a fine.

And the best one:

Yes handwritten are extremely effective.. Some gurus even advocate doing this on a fake property for beginners just so they can start building their buyers list right away. Good Luck

Thanks for this Randy H, what a barrel of laughs!

8   joshuatrio   2012 Jul 27, 12:49am  

We called one of the numbers one time to see what the were all about. The one we called seemed legit, but they only offer you 60-70% of your homes value.

So they are basically vultures looking to swoop in and make a tidy profit.

9   epitaph   2012 Jul 27, 5:16am  

Randy H says

According to a quick search, they're called "bandit signs" and are used by your typical low life RE types trying to generate leads.

http://www.biggerpockets.coms/87/topics/53775-using-handwritten-bandit-signs

lol I clicked that link and i think the second response was:

I would recommend using a google voice number since they are free and very hard to track back to you ( less worries of getting a fine). Ive put up over 600 signs in my area and never gotten a fine

What a stand up kind of guy.

10   37108605   2012 Sep 28, 9:09pm  

Automan Empire says

Seriously, what is the deal with all of the amateur "We buy houses" signs out there?

I have thought the same. I have come to the conclusion that maybe they have nothing to do with real estate and are just a front for something else. You know like the 80s underground clubs in secret locations call number give a special code for the information you are really seeking. The entire thing makes no sense to me who buys a house from a quickly written street sign on a highway?

I have also seen the same for fucking mattresses! Who buys a bed off a handwritten street sign? JEEZ.

11   barbaraG   2012 Sep 28, 10:02pm  

Yeah, I always wondered why anybody with enough money to buy a house would just cheaply hand-letter a aign.

12   C Boy   2012 Sep 29, 2:54am  

barbaraG says

Yeah, I always wondered why anybody with enough money to buy a house would just cheaply hand-letter a aign.

According to the morons in the link"

"I find them to be nearly 100% more effective than craigslist. Craigslist seems to be full of bottom feeders. The real buyers with cash tend to call the signs on the side of the road."

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