Every investor wants to make money, and the good ones know that the key to success
is good information.Like a general planning a campaign, your strategy and tactics are only effective if they are driven by good intelligence. Reliable information is key to finding qualified prospects.
One way to make this happen is to use on line foreclosure listing sites. These are web sites that list foreclosure properties in specific areas of the country. Some are regional, some are national, some are specific to a city or county. All have a specific features that make processing these listings easier and faster.
Since you don't have to even look at the properties out side your selected local and price range, you have more time to make a quality decision on the properties that you do see. In many cases, agents for the property will include photos to help you get a feel for what the property is and what it can be. Often a single glance will tell you whether it is ready for your reject pile. Again, the on line listing site has helped you eliminate unsuitable properties with a minimum of lost time.
Make sure your site provides lots of photos. A good picture can do a lot to qualify or disqualify a property from your 'good to check out list'.Make sure that the descriptions and information that you see on line is accurate. Check the links to the agents and principles to see if they resolve properly. Ask them to confirm the information listed on the site. Visit some of the local listings and see how close the information you got on line matches the reality of the property in question.
Pictures play an important role in the qualifying process. Sometimes one look at a house or property will be enough to put it on the 'Not For Me' list. By using an on line listing site that can access multiple pictures of the property, you can often make this determination without an on site visit. Sites that show interiors as well as exteriors will help you evaluate the level of effort required to make the property salable again.