Got an Interesting Letter

[tarbe]

Out of the clear blue, I get a letter in the mail.

Type written, on plain paper, hand addressed envelope and hand signed. Return address was husband and wife living in a small town in Central MO.

Letter stated, "We want to buy your land in Ozark County". Stressed they were not Realtors.

Gave a phone number to call if interested.

I guess some folks must just send out a pile of these cold...hoping to find some desperate owners in need of cash?

Anyone else ever get such a letter?

[big rockpile]

Property down there wouldn't be worth very much but maybe that's their deal.

big rockpile

[hercsmama]

We got one a couple years back from some couple wanting to buy our land in Arizona. I just figured it was a scam of some sort and threw it away.

[kasilofhome]

I found a person stopped in front of my land shortly after I bought it. The man and I talked. He wanted to buy my land as he had over looked the parcel when it was on the market. He informed me that the two surrounding piece he has been sending letters for years to the two different owners. (tax role records with address to send the bill and next step phone search) He really wants to own land right here because he is a ham radio op. He did some study about land and water features and boosting signals so he is really set on my land or the other two lots. I mention this because it could just be real.

[Nevada]

Originally Posted by tarbe

Out of the clear blue, I get a letter in the mail.

Type written, on plain paper, hand addressed envelope and hand signed. Return address was husband and wife living in a small town in Central MO.

Letter stated, "We want to buy your land in Ozark County". Stressed they were not Realtors.

Gave a phone number to call if interested.

I guess some folks must just send out a pile of these cold...hoping to find some desperate owners in need of cash?

Anyone else ever get such a letter?

That is exactly how I bought land in Elko County to sell at eBay. I used to offer the value placed on the property by the county assessor. I got replies and made successful deals.

That's how I found the 2 acres I built my cabin on. I just happened on a property that was close to pavement & power, and had dedicated streets & utility rights-of-way. I offered $800 for the 2 acres to an out-of-state owner, which was the assessed value. He took it.

[EasyDay]

I received one years ago, prior to permanently moving to the land. The couple had looked for unoccupied land that they could use for hunting/recreation,and found my place. Got my mailing info from the courthouse.

Nothing sinister about it, usually.
I answered the letter, simply stating that I wasn't interested in selling. That's all.

[Charleen]

I lost both my parents in the fall of 2011 and within a month I had received 2 very plain (no letterhead) letters from people (return address within 50 miles) telling me that they wanted to buy the house, without seeing it, just to relieve me of the stress of realtors. One promised closing within 2 weeks, free of court costs and legal fees. I googled one of the people and found he'd been buying up real estate all over the region.

[haypoint]

When the Amish pick an area to settle, they often go door-to-door, asking if you want to sell.
When I was buying vacant land, I sent the owners letters.

I wouldn't give it a lot of thought. Either you want to sell or not. If you can be bought, tell them how much.

Just don't turn over the deed until the check clears.

[Bluesgal]

Friend of mine got her dream house/property that way. They told the owners that they wanted to buy the house. The owners responded that they didn't want to sell at that time. Once a year my friend sent them a letter saying hello and reminding them that they were still intersted in the house/property. 7 years later when the owners were ready to sell, they called up my friend. She nows lives in her dream house.

[chickenista]

We bought our first land that way.
We rented then I drove around and around and around looking for falling down barns and unloved farm houses.
I would go to the tax office and get the name and number of the owner and then contact them about selling.
We got a nice parcel that way..

[Laura Zone 10]

Originally Posted by tarbe

Out of the clear blue, I get a letter in the mail.

Type written, on plain paper, hand addressed envelope and hand signed. Return address was husband and wife living in a small town in Central MO.

Letter stated, "We want to buy your land in Ozark County". Stressed they were not Realtors.

Gave a phone number to call if interested.

I guess some folks must just send out a pile of these cold...hoping to find some desperate owners in need of cash?

Anyone else ever get such a letter?

I did this once.
Saw a spot of land that I fell in love with.
Went to the courthouse and looked up who owned it.
Wrote them a letter.
(I had cash.......)
Never heard from them.

House behind my property is a historic landsight. Rental.
I wanted to buy part of the field that separates her land with mine.
Went to the courthouse, looked up her name and address, and wrote her a letter.
SHE CALLED ME.
We chatted for about an hour on the phone. At the end of the conversations, she really didn't want to sell, but was sure when she died, that her son's would be MORE than happy to sell, that she was putting all my information in a file for them to find.

So real people do send letters to property owners.....

[SteveD(TX)]

Bottom feeders looking for someone desperate to sell. I used to get these letters all the time. It was annoying when I got them after the death of my mother back in 1997, who left her lake cabin to me and my brothers.

[chickenista]

Originally Posted by SteveD(TX)

Bottom feeders looking for someone desperate to sell. I used to get these letters all the time. It was annoying when I got them after the death of my mother back in 1997, who left her lake cabin to me and my brothers.

I am not a 'bottom feeder", thank you very much.
And I wasn't looking for someone desparate to sell.
I saw a beautiful piece of land with good soil etc.. and asked to see if the folks that weren't using it at all would be willing to let someone who would use it and make a home out of it.

[SteveD(TX)]

Originally Posted by chickenista

I am not a 'bottom feeder", thank you very much.
And I wasn't looking for someone desparate to sell.
I saw a beautiful piece of land with good soil etc.. and asked to see if the folks that weren't using it at all would be willing to let someone who would use it and make a home out of it.

I wasn't referring to you, but to those realtors, developers, and investors who blanket many property owners rather than seeking one specific property.

[TheMartianChick]

I have received letters and sometimes postcards from people wanting to buy a piece of land that we own in Marion County Florida. I've never contacted them but I do know that it is a common thing. I sometimes get them from someone local to me about my two adjacent city lots. I have no idea what they think they'd be able to do with them because they'd never get permission to build on them. Clearly, they haven't really investigated the properties.

[chickenista]

Originally Posted by SteveD(TX)

I wasn't referring to you, but to those realtors, developers, and investors who blanket many property owners rather than seeking one specific property.

Oh I know... I was kidding. The smiley button apparently didn't go through.

[jbowyer01]

That's how we(DH and myself) bought our first piece of land. I know several other people who've done it that way too. We enclosed all my contact information in a hand written letter with a reasoning as to why we wanted the property.

[acabin42]

We got a letter like that. We own property in another state, (haven't been there in 12 years), and the next door neighbor sent a letter asking if we wanted to sell. It came at the right time! With both of us on disability, and no insurance for me, we really do need the money. So, I am selling it to her and was really happy she asked.

[Belfrybat]

That's how I got the property I'm living on. I didn't write a letter, but went to the courthouse to find out who owned it. Discovered they were 4 years behind in property taxes, and then called the owner and offered to buy it and pay the back taxes myself. The price he set was way high, so I told him I'd pay half that amount in cash along with settling up with the property taxes and call me if he was interested. Six months later he called after he got a tax demand letter from the county. We both came out ahead.

[tarbe]

Sounds like this method is fairly common.