I am interesting in learning some of your ideas to improve my direct mail campaigns

I use direct mail for looking for new purchases

So far my targets have been: probates, expired listings over one year old, and delinquent tax payers who eventually got caught up..

* Places owned by people who live out of town and especially out of state.

* Places that have actions and fines from code enforcement.

*From court -- landlords who are evicting people.

*Maybe put ads on free or cheap places for landlords with tenants who are playing the "I don't have to pay because of Covid" game.

*Divorce filings in the court records,

*Places that have had fires.

*Places with long grass, or look abandoned.

* Bank REO departments for bank owned properties.

*Wholesalers.

and, these days, if you want to risk it, places in cities that have had riots and firebombings (Seattle, Portland, and a lot more).

*Abandoned farms and places way out in the country (less competition).

I also like to contact out-of-the-area owners & non-occupant owners who have owned them for a while.

I't pretty random & time-consuming for me to find them.

Does anyone know how to efficiently sort through public records to find them.

How to narrow it down to those parameters?

For my expired MLS listing: I am using properties listed for sale in 2018 or 2019 that have not been relisted and did not sell. I am sending letter to the address of record from the assessment office.

About 1/3 of these places are second homes or out of area owners. I sometimes see where a deed transferred about the same time the property was listed for sale for $1 so I am assuming that these are either estate properties or divorce properties with the $1 transfer.

I am wanting to know HOW others are doing mailing listing creation. It is one thing to say go after "properties in a divorce". Anyone who has sat down with the either EX knows how difficult it is to close the deals with out hearing about how screwed up the world is, and how screwed up they spouse is/was.........you will get sucked in to the drama.

For unpaid taxes, I chase an easier path with the thought process in place - everyone will be chasing the folks who are in line to have the county take the property.

Instead, the county publishes a list of folks who are suppose to go up for auction about six weeks before the auction. The county also publishes a list of properties that went up for sale at that auction. To make that list you have to be two years behind on taxes.

Me, I am looking for the folks who had a financial hardship in paying taxes but were somehow able to scratch together the funds this time to get the taxes paid from two years ago. These folks are not out of the woods, they need a life line and they will be back on the list next year in most cases. They need to sell - but they don't know it. That is my job to let them know that they can have some cash next week or they stand to lose it all in another 9 months.

I got two calls today for two of my buildings to see if they were for sale. Apparently those callers are just looking at woman owners.

Sometimes I get a call from someone in front of my building who was just driving around. I have the best looking buildings so not sure what criteria they are using. Maybe some of them just pick out the nicest looking building. Wishful thinking there.

Off track from what you asked but I don't do mailings and I seldom purchase through a realtor. I see on here quite often how folks attempt to hide their identity, attempt to dig in and hide that they are an investor or landlord. I am the exact opposite. EVERYONE knows what I do. I belong to several local groups for different type things and attend meetings - not monthly but several times a year for each. Neighbors, friends, relatives, business associates -- coworkers, friends, family, neighbors of all those -- EVERYONE knows what I do. I go for coffee at a local place (never been in a Starbucks) and EVERYONE there knows what I do. Legion, VFW, same thing.

I get so put off about mailings saying, "I want to buy your property". When you contact them they know nothing about the property. And when you ask "if you want to buy what do you want to pay?"

they refuse or give you a price implying they want it for free!

How many people are in your farm market Ken?

I create my own list from the data that I harvest.

I used to buy data from a list provider and about 15% of it was total trash.