Sharon Vornholt - Let's Talk Real Estate Investing

Getting your message right when you're marketing to probates can be tricky at times. The language in your letter is extremely important.  If you think back to the probate process, when the family opens the estate that is a sign that they are ready to move forward with the settling the estate (which includes selling any property in the estate). The timeline for doing this varies with individuals. It can begin quickly or it can take a long time. Your job as an investor is to be there whey they are ready. Things happen on their timeline when it comes to probate. I believe one thing has been responsible for much of my success with probates, and that is my ability to understand the seller's mindset, and market to these folks with kindness and understanding. I do that with a very nurturing series of direct mail letters.  In this show I will tell you exactly how to approach these sellers, and how you can get my FREE Probate Investing Starter Kit which includes a sample letter.  You can get it by CLICKING HERE. Be su

Welcome to marketing tip #2.   Today I want to tell you what you need to stop doing when you feel like throwing in the towel. I know, we've all been there.  Overwhelmed... Confused... Overworked and tired... Ready to throw in the towel and quit .. There is a way to fix that, and it isn't by working harder and faster or by doing a million different strategies. Listen in today to tip #2 in my Quick Tip Marketing Series and learn what that is. Don't forget to stop by the blog to get your brand new Freebies.  I have a Quick Start Marketing Plan Template that you can get completely free. It's one that I use to work with clients 1-to-1.  You can do that here --> Louisville Gals Real Estate Blog     .

You might think that's a bold claim but it's true.  Most real estate investors are sporadic marketers at best.  They might... Hammer up a few Bandit signs every now and then Send out direct mail letters 3 or 4 times then stop before they get any real traction Go to a couple of networking events like their REIA, and then not bother going back. What's even worse is that they go and never talk to anyone. Completely avoid doing marketing tasks that are unpleasant even thought they know they should be doing them to get the phone ringing Never pick up the phone and answer it after spending a ton of money on direct mail. (Yes, people do that) But there is one thing that is a business business killer.  Learn more in this first show in my series of Quick Marketing Tips Be sure to stop by the blog.  I've added some new resources just for YOU.  You can do that here:  Louisville Gals Real Estate Blog

Today I want to talk about the difference between probate leads and inheritance leads. Let's talk about probate leads first. When someone passes away, the estate will go through probate in most cases unless the deceased did some estate planning.  A number of things have to happen in probate before the property can be sold, so months can pass in many cases. If you're still not clear on the probate process, you can get my free Probate Investing Roadmap by CLICKING HERE.    Inheritance Leads That's not the case with inheritance leads. These are leads that didn't go through probate, and there are a number of ways this can happen. I go over that in the show, as well as where you find those inheritance leads.     Resources Our sponsor Mitch Stephen has a free report for you called "Tax Free Future". Learn more by CLICKING HERE. Ready to jump in and become a probate expert?  You can do that with my "Probate Investing Simplified" course.   Please let me know if you have any questions.  Be sure to stop by the blog and

Today I want to talk about how how to get the best results from your probate direct mail campaigns.  Direct mail is a great way to keep your funnel full of leads. It has always been my number one way of finding deals. Probates have always been my most profitable niche to mail to over the years.  But there are some basic concepts that you need to follow in order for direct mail to be the most effective for you.  In today's show here is just some of what you are going to learn: Direct mail basics for probates and other niches The 4 components to any marketing campaign Direct mail statistics; how long should you mail to someone? When do most people stop mailing? The different timelines for different niches like probates and other time based niches Which direct mail piece should you use for your mailings? Direct mail is how you reach off market deals which have so much less competition.  Learn More... Get your Free "Probate Investing Roadmap" By CLICKING HERE. Learn more about my comprehensive course "Probate I

I get a lot of reader questions and I love to answer them. So....I finally decided to do some quick shows to feature all those great questions.  I think I will call this "Ask Sharon".  The reader question was this. "When I'm sending out direct mail, how many letters is enough?  Two touches?  4 touches? 7 touches? That's a really good question. And the answer is it depends. One thing you need to understand is that direct mail campaigns will be based on the type of lead to some degree.  However, there is one principle that everyone needs to follow, and this one thing will determine your success or your failure.  Remember that the magic (and the money) is in the follow up. Somewhere around 80% of your deals will come from followup.  You will also get some other powerful statistics for you in this show. Be sure to stop by the blog. You can do that by clicking here.     .

I have a great show for you today.  You know how passionate I am about building an unforgettable brand. It's so important for your business and your bottom line. You can't be successful if no one knows about you, and today images play a big part of building overall brand awareness of your business.  Most people know this, but I can almost guarantee you that the average real estate investor has given little to know thought about investing in a professional photoshoot.  If there is one thing I hope you take away from this show it is that great photos will not only build your brand awareness for your business, but it will actually make you money over time.  Great branding makes all your marketing work better.  My guest today, Natalie Jennings of Jennings Photo does a great job of explaining how all this works.   Show Notes Here is just some of what we covered in this show: How a professional professional brand photoshoot can help you stand out from your competition Why your photos help make all your marketing m

Hi guys!  I want you to know that in addition to today's podcast, I also did a screen capture video of this show so that you could have the opportunity to go through a sample probate letter with me. You can find it on the Louisville Gals Real Estate Blog.   Freebies Get your FREE sample letter over on the blog. To get your "Probate Investing Roadmap" just click here. You can watch the video where I go through each section of the letter on YouTube by clicking here. So, how do you reach these motivated sellers?  You don't reach them by picking up the phone and calling someone whose mama has just passed away.  You reach them by sending a nurture series of direct mail letters.  Your goal is to be there when the family is ready to sell. Today I'm going to talk about each section of the letter, and I'm going to talk about  the 5 things you really need to understand about marketing to these folks. Let me know if you have any questions.      .  

My guest today is Jamie Masters. Jaime is the CEO of Eventual Millionaire. She has interviewed hundreds of self-made millionaires to find out exactly how they got where they are. Jaime is a real superstar when it comes to showing people how to build systems that will skyrocket your growth. Jaime specialized in creating automated systems and doubling her client's income. Who doesn't want that right? In today's show here are just a few of the things you're going to learn: How to go from soloprener to real business owner Which comes first? Building systems or a team? What the main things are that an investor should focus on to get solidly into 6 figures and beyond What the first things are that you should outsource in your business The traits that are common among all self-made millionaires I love this quote from Jaime: Trust the system so much that you don't have to intervene   Freebies! You know you like freebies. Jaime has 3 awesome FREE gifts for you.  You can get them here at: https://eventualmillionaire.

Do you know what the "ONE thing" is that you absolutely must know to work in the niche of probates is?   It's when the house can be sold. Another way to put it is, when YOU can buy the house. There is a particular point in the probate process when you can actually put the property in the estate under contract.  In this show I will also answer the question one of my students asked me this week and that was, "Is there a way to buy the property before the estate is opened"? (I get that question a lot from folks that want to get a head start.) I hope you enjoy this show. As always let me know if you have any questions.   Resources Mentioned in this Show Probate Investing Simplified Course Probate Investing Roadmap     .

Wholesaling is a popular real estate investing strategy, and it's one that I believe should be in every investor's toolbox. In it's simplest form, wholesaling is buying a property at a deep discount then selling it to someone for a higher price. Now you might be wondering, what are the traits of a successful wholesaler, and what exactly does someone need to know to be successful at wholesaling? Here's some of what we'll dive into in this show: The factors involved in choosing an investing strategy Knowing your "end game" The role marketing plays in your ultimate success Talking to sellers Making offers Negotiation Building a buyer's list and a network One Final Tip Don't fall in love with a property. Real estate is a numbers game. The numbers either make sense, or they don't. Don't forget your freebie!  You can get it BY CLICKING HERE          .

  Here is my question today; are you coachable? You might be asking, what exactly does that mean? When someone is coachable, it means you are ready to do what it takes to change, to transform your business (or yourself), or to get better at something ... whatever that means in your business. Most people think coaching is mainly for athletes, but that's not the case. It's for everyone. I can tell you this; people at all levels of success have coaches. In this show we are going to go over what traits you need in order to be coachable, the habits and traits folks have that are not coachable, and what anyone considering investing in coaching should look for in a coach. In this show we will go over: What does that even mean? Who do you have "to be" to be coachable? How do you know if someone isn't coachable? What makes a coach a good coach? My #1 tip for choosing a coach   Get Your Freebie Here Ready to fire yourself?   Get your "Fire Yourself" worksheet BY CLICKING HERE.       .

Today's show on making the transition from self-employed to business owner.  In part 1 of this 2-part episode, I asked this question: "Do you have a real business or have you just created a job for yourself?"  If they're being truthful, most real estate investors will admit they've created this beast called a job. And, it's a job where they are working way too hard. In part 1 I discussed what makes a true business owner different than most small businesses. A business is something that you can step away from that continues to run and generate income even if you aren't there. Here is an even bigger difference: "Entrepreneurs or true business owners, organize their businesses for growth. They know from the very beginning they want to scale. A true entrepreneur knows that their job isn't to do the work, it's to build a company that does the work." I also talked about how to begin to outsource tasks in your business in part 1. You can see that it's all about planning. They knew right from the beginning they were

Here's the big question I want to ask you today.   Do you have a real business or have you just created a job for yourself? For most real estate investors, the answer is that they have just created a job for themselves. We like to think of ourselves as entrepreneurs, but are we really?  I think the answer is no in most cases and here's the reason. Entrepreneurs or true business owners organize their businesses for growth. They know right from the very beginning they want to scale. A true entrepreneur knows that their job isn't to do the work, it's to build a company that does the work. In almost every case, real estate investors start out as a one man show. They do the work. That's how they get their first deals done.  It's the next thing that happens that will likely determine their future, and that is how quickly they start to build a team. So how do you begin the process?  You need to create a plan to fire yourself.   Show Notes Here are a few of the things we will cover in part 1 of this 2-part series: W

Today's show is all about how to have happy, responsible tenants that stay for years. This topic is so important for landlords to understand.  So how do you do that? You do that with a good onboarding process. In this episode I'm going to explain exactly what onboarding is, how you do it, and why it's a huge benefit when it comes to your bottom line. We all know how costly tenant turnover is, and this process will help you have happier, better tenants and you will make more money in the process. I'm going to lay out 5 ways that you can accomplish this, step by step.     Bonus Handout I also have a bonus handout for you today.  It's a move in-move out checklist.  This checklist will ensure you do a thorough inspection of the property at the move in, and it make it easy to document changes in the property at the move out.   You can get it by clicking here: Move In - Move Out Checklist Don't forget to stop by the Louisville Gals Real Estate Blog where you find more freebies and some pretty awesome information to

My guest today is Minneapolis investor, Amber Miller of Threshold Homes. Amber has been flipping houses for more than 10 years and has done more well over 100 properties in that time.  She has also just released a course for anyone that wants to learn how to flip houses called, "House Flip Blueprint". Amber covers a lot of material in this show. It's definitely one you won't want to miss.   Show Notes: Here is just some of what we talked about in this show: How she got started Where you begin when you're just starting out You have to know your numbers Once you know your numbers, what's next? How you find a house Once you find a house, how are you going to pay for it? Now that your flip is done, how do you sell it? Final advice for anyone getting started How you can get Amber's course, "House Flip Blueprint" To learn more about "House Flip Blueprint", JUST CLICK HERE. To get a copy of "8 Tips to Find the Perfect Fixer Upper" JUST CLICK HERE. Be sure to stop by the Louisville Gals Real Estate Blog when you ge

Probates have been my number one source of leads for more than a decade now, and these sellers are some of the most motivated sellers on the planet. That's just one of the reasons I like probates so much. In today's show, I'm going to answer the 10 most frequently asked questions I get over and over from investors.  Remember this; you are able to help so many people in this niche and make money at the same time.    Get Your FREE Probate Investing Roadmap  If you want to know exactly how the probate process works, be sure get my freebie, "The Probate Investing Roadmap".  You can get it by clicking here.   This show is produced by Podcastier.

  Let's face it; working from home isn't the easiest thing to do. After years of having a boss and a structured work environment, suddenly you ARE the boss. You are 100% in charge of your time and your income which is a result of how you spend that time.  Some people are able to make the transition pretty easily. But for others it can be quite a challenge.  In this show I'll go over the pros and the cons of working from home and how you can overcome some of these challenges to really build a lifestyle and a business you love.  Some of the things in this show are: So many distractions.  How do you stay focused? How do you make that extra time you no longer spend commuting really work for you to grow your business? Where will you work? Why you need a dedicated work space even if you don't have a real office. Why being productive while working in your pajamas is a myth Mindset: You're running a business not dabbling in your side gig.   Get Your Freebie If you're wondering how the probate process works so you c

I've been traveling a LOT in the past month. I have attended 3 live events during that time. So the focus of today's show is going to be on "why attend live events"?  Exactly what are the benefits? The main benefits are that they help you grow as a person, and they definitely help your business grow.   It's Been a Lot of Travel but So Worth It! I started out with a trip to Chicago for a 3 day real estate conference called "Building an Empire" put on by Andrew Holmes and the Chicago REIA. This is an event that I truly believe has the power to change people's lives.  I also had the opportunity to be one of the speakers on a panel so it was a lot of fun. I was home for 6 whole days when I hopped on a plane and headed to Orlando for Podfest. At this event, I was asked to be on a real estate investor's panel so I was both a speaker and an attendee (mostly an attendee). If you even thinking about doing a podcast of your own, I highly recommend you check out Podfest next year.  It's a great event. Besides, who doesn

My guest today is Chicago investor Brie Schmidt, and we are going to talk about making it big with small apartments. Brie is a buy and hold investor, a speaker and the managing broker of Second City Real Estate.   Show Notes Here's just a sample of what we covered in this show: The interesting way she got started What made her finally quit her "day job" Why she chose buy and hold apartments as her investing strategy Why she chose Milwaukee as her second place to invest The challenges of investing out of state Scaling her business and how she's helping other do the same How she manages 90+ properties as just one part of what she does Advice for anyone just starting out   .