An American Vampire Investor
By Claude (Igor) W. Diamond J.D.

Good Evening my desperate homeowner friends !!

Please allow me to introduce myself. I’m with the American Vampire Investor Institute. I was sent here to see if we could do some rewarding business. (Rewarding for me that is). I understand that your home is for sale and your family is in serious financial trouble. Your house is in imminent foreclosure, your credit is ruined and you were laid off from your job 6 months ago with no chance of ever being called back. Your self esteem is shot and you’re flipping burgers and dishing out french fries to teenagers on the graveyard shift just to keep food on the table. To make matters worse your boss is 18 years old, has an earring in each nostril with a major facial complexion problem. To make matters worse he has an attitude that make Saddam Hussain look like a Campfire Girl™.

References, credentials you want. Well, I will have you know that I am a graduate of the prominent Get-Rich-Quick Institute in beautiful Chocolate Chipley, Florida. I have rode on the 200 home bus ride tour and have attended the guerrilla bootcamps.(The teacher was an actual Guerrilla) I have over 2000 books and tapes in my bathroom alone. (Some, I have even studied)

Now here’s where I come in with my specialized training ! I can sense your despair and I am here to suck out all the life blood that is left in you and your home and leave you nothing for my trouble. I will offer no realistic or positive solutions that will help you. I will take the remaining equity out of your home for my own avaricious needs. I exist for stealing low and selling high. I am after all an American Vampire Investor.

The above is not so far fetched and was written to illustrate the way most investors are trained to make deals happen. This methodology is sure to fail on a long term basis. I just can’t see anyone doing business in this manner and prospering. For starters, it is just too difficult and it does not promote the likelihood of any kind of deal occurring between the buyer, seller or the investor.

The days of being monolithic or one sided in our thinking are over. We must be versatile in our approach to creating income and wealth in properties. We must be problem solvers if we want to be in this business for the long run. I avoid adversarial Real Estate; I prefer a WiN-WiN type of Attitude ! Here are a few suggestions:

A. Be a Problem Solver Consultant - The Investor with the most solutions or ideas can make the most deals happen in Creative Real Estate. Example: Well Ms. Seller, we could do it this way or perhaps this way, which would you prefer?

B. Empathy - If the seller has problems concerning his or her property (financial, personal, etc.) show some compassion. It’s OK to negotiate the best deal you can, but it’s another to kick someone when they are down. Be fair !

C. Never Stop Learning - No one has a monopoly on knowledge. Attend seminars where the trainer really practices what he preaches. Find a knowledgeable Mentor or someone who has made it. Learn all the time; never stop! Ask reasonable questions or try making multiple offers that present different choices to the seller and which present profitable opportunities for you.

D. Enthusiasm - Nothing beats a good, positive energetic attitude. Be up front and forthright and carry yourself with the right attitude. Nothing can replace genuine excitement about doing a great or (even a not-so-great) deal.

E. Honesty - It’s been said, "You can’t cheat an honest person." Trust between the parties is the foundation of this principle.Finally: Lose, better yet, never acquire the Vampire Attitude. Be Proactive and Structure your offers honestly and with fairness to all parties. Every deal cannot be a winner, but you can sure try. My offers are not always accepted the first time, but I do leave the door open. I send follow up letters thanking the sellers and tell them that they can call me anytime. Infact, sellers often call me after a week or even several months later.

Sometimes we do a deal, sometimes we don’t, but they know that the option is always there. American Vampire Investors are so limited and adversarial in their approach that they do one or two deals and usually fade away. The successful investor of the 21st Century is here for the long run. If you have multiple solutions to many real estate situations you will prosper beyond your wildest dreams. Besides.....who wants to work ONLY during the full moons looking for blood banks for sale or rent ?