You will pick up a property at the best price when buying from a "motivated seller."

That sounds OK, but what does it mean?

Has your mode of transportation ever become a junker?

Among those of us who have owned cars or trucks for years, most would probably answer "yes." We came to feel that way because some vehicle of ours was about ready to fall apart, or wouldn't run well regardless of repairs, or was too much trouble to fool with any more. It had become a noose around our neck. It was an albatross. It was a huge liability.

Well, a rental house doesn't have to "fall apart" for the owner to become a motivated seller.

Maybe a landlord gets sick and can't continue to keep up his rental house.

Maybe a landlord becomes fed up with tenant problems, and wants to throw in the towel.

Maybe the owner of a residence is transferred to another city in his job, buys a second house, and can't sell his first house. Do you think making TWO MONTHLY PAYMENTS can convert a seller into a motivated seller?

Maybe a couple divorces, and is required to sell their house in order to settle the divorce.

Maybe a family is facing bankruptcy, and selling their house quickly is the only solution they see for relieving financial pressures.

This short list of reasons is just the tip of the iceberg for why property owners become motivated sellers . It happens every day. Someone who owns a house can become a motivated seller in the flash of a moment!

A motivated seller might be called a desperate seller. Something has transpired to transform this normally-rational seller of real estate into a frantic property owner who is determined to get rid of his property. It might be a life-or-death reason. It might be a financial crunch. It might be inconvenience. It might just be a change of taste, as in flipping from like to dislike.

If you are going to pick up your best deal, you have to locate this motivated seller.

Unfortunately, he will not have "DESPERATE SELLER" tattooed across his forehead.

YOU have to draw out from within this newly-developed attitude about his property.

The motivated seller might resist your probing. He might lie to you about his motivation to sell. He will probably do his best to hide his real feelings. He doesn't want his true motivation exposed!

It's like screaming inside to cry, but braving the world in an unwavering front with a straight face of pride. The motivated seller does everything possible to disguise it!

If you determine a seller is hell-bent on getting top dollar for his property, you might want to drop it like a hot potato. He's not a motivated seller.

Very few sellers are going to tell you they are desperate. If you ever find someone who openly expresses his desperation to sell his property, proceed with caution because this could be a ruse for a property with major problems.

From my experiences I find that almost everyone one of us who has owned property has become a motivated seller at one time or another. Once right after I had gotten started by buying a million dollars in properties in my first year, I suddenly became a motivated seller. A downturn in the rental market left me with half of my properties empty of paying tenants. I was facing a monthly house note of $10,000, and I had nowhere to turn for help. I quickly turned from proud owner to motivated seller in desperation, and offered a package of $1 million dollars in properties for a quick sale. Only one prospect responded to my ad, and he was just curious. I personally came to know what it means to be a motivated seller.

Property owners become disenchanted with their houses for one reason or another, and become motivated to sell. That’s when you appear on the scene. These sellers are not on every corner or in every block, so patiently look over the inventory of houses for sale and ask questions. With this attitude, you WILL find the choice house to renovate.

When I first got started, I had trouble finding these motivated sellers. We all know the definition of a motivated seller, but you have to experience the personal exchange with this seller to get the feel for it.

So if you want your best deal ever, learn to keep a high antenna. Listen to emotions and look behind the spoken words. When you sense you might have found the motivated seller, make an offer of less than requested, and the response you get will strongly suggest whether your sensing mechanism has become sufficiently trained.

Dr.Phil Speer