keep your eyes open for the sign police

[megabucks41 0]

Well, I guess if you do something long enough some one will notice. In this case it was the wrong person.

I just got a call form Metro-Dade code enforcer about my signs they saw placed all over their city. I explained that I was doing what everybody else was doing: placing signs to sell their home. Now with about 65 signs out there they know I am not telling the whole truth but, heck, she left me no choice. At $50 a pop per sign I better lie! Anyhow, my fine is $120 first time with a warning. Do it again and it will be $50 per sign. The worst part of this whole thing is I still have not been able to move the properties I have in the area. Been marketing there for about 6 weeks and plenty of callers but no takers yet. I have already gone to the sellers as far as the change in the market and I am waiting to hear the response on the reduction of price to see if we could move these properties. I have been in this one area way too long. I want to try something closer to home. I'll keep you posted.

[MichaelC 160]

Ernie, when using bandit signs you need to go the extra step to avoid just what happened to you with code enforcement. Never use a traceable phone number on your signs! Instead, buy yourself a prepaid celluar phone deal. They can be found anywhere these days. At kiosks in malls, WalMart, etc. You prepay, say, $50 worth of time, and you take home your new phone. Now, you have a new telephone number to be used only for your business. That number goes on your signs. And when you bought it you were required to register. Only you aren't you. You are John Jones, and all of the info you submit is erroneous. Now, when the sign police call you and threaten you, there is no way to track you down since the number they have isn't registered to you and can't be traced to any address.

As for the properties you have right now, you need to be sure they are in line with current market conditions. Our area has definitely switched gears. The boom is over! And homeowners need to be made aware of this or you'll be sitting on properties for months at a time. Get the terms in line, or move on. Let the homeowner fight the market if this is their preference. Your time can be better spent.

[megabucks41 0]

Ernie, when using bandit signs you need to go the extra step to avoid just what happened to you with code enforcement. Never use a traceable phone number on your signs! Instead, buy yourself a prepaid celluar phone deal. They can be found anywhere these days. At kiosks in malls, WalMart, etc. You prepay, say, $50 worth of time, and you take home your new phone. Now, you have a new telephone number to be used only for your business. That number goes on your signs. And when you bought it you were required to register. Only you aren't you. You are John Jones, and all of the info you submit is erroneous. Now, when the sign police call you and threaten you, there is no way to track you down since the number they have isn't registered to you and can't be traced to any address.

As for the properties you have right now, you need to be sure they are in line with current market conditions. Our area has definitely switched gears. The boom is over! And homeowners need to be made aware of this or you'll be sitting on properties for months at a time. Get the terms in line, or move on. Let the homeowner fight the market if this is their preference. Your time can be better spent.

 

 

 

 

MC. Your advice is always God send, thank you. I am sitting here wondering now why didn't I think of that? We are using a service, I got caught when some other business person called my number and explain to me that the city was making him pay a ticket because the phone number lead to him but he called the number and it lead to me so after we talked he gave the city the number, by this time I said well it's not this guy's problem and he shouldn't be made to pay for my doings. So when the city called me I talked my way down to only a $120 ticket for two signs when there were really about 65 signs not to mention all the flyers post around.

 

But man this idea of a pre-paid phone I think that is a genius idea. I am paying about $10 bucks a month for the service, so if the phone seems to be cheaper then i might have to go with your idea anyhow it's a great idea. Thank you again.

 

And as far as the proerties you are right, I have made my sellers know about the market and what I am now wating for is to hear which way they want to go and move on let them fight the market.

[steve55121 0]

Ernie, when using bandit signs you need to go the extra step to avoid just what happened to you with code enforcement. Never use a traceable phone number on your signs! Instead, buy yourself a prepaid celluar phone deal. They can be found anywhere these days. At kiosks in malls, WalMart, etc. You prepay, say, $50 worth of time, and you take home your new phone. Now, you have a new telephone number to be used only for your business. That number goes on your signs. And when you bought it you were required to register. Only you aren't you. You are John Jones, and all of the info you submit is erroneous. Now, when the sign police call you and threaten you, there is no way to track you down since the number they have isn't registered to you and can't be traced to any address.

As for the properties you have right now, you need to be sure they are in line with current market conditions. Our area has definitely switched gears. The boom is over! And homeowners need to be made aware of this or you'll be sitting on properties for months at a time. Get the terms in line, or move on. Let the homeowner fight the market if this is their preference. Your time can be better spent.

 

 

 

 

MC. Your advice is always God send, thank you. I am sitting here wondering now why didn't I think of that? We are using a service, I got caught when some other business person called my number and explain to me that the city was making him pay a ticket because the phone number lead to him but he called the number and it lead to me so after we talked he gave the city the number, by this time I said well it's not this guy's problem and he shouldn't be made to pay for my doings. So when the city called me I talked my way down to only a $120 ticket for two signs when there were really about 65 signs not to mention all the flyers post around.

 

But man this idea of a pre-paid phone I think that is a genius idea. I am paying about $10 bucks a month for the service, so if the phone seems to be cheaper then i might have to go with your idea anyhow it's a great idea. Thank you again.

 

And as far as the proerties you are right, I have made my sellers know about the market and what I am now wating for is to hear which way they want to go and move on let them fight the market.

 

I have been called several times by code enforcement. What I have been doing is the same as other people are doing including investors, builders, apartment buildings. That is to put up the signs when code enforcement is not in the office. I place my signs on friday and then pick them up on sunday. No more calls from the city for me.

 

-Steve

[megabucks41 0]

Ernie, when using bandit signs you need to go the extra step to avoid just what happened to you with code enforcement. Never use a traceable phone number on your signs! Instead, buy yourself a prepaid celluar phone deal. They can be found anywhere these days. At kiosks in malls, WalMart, etc. You prepay, say, $50 worth of time, and you take home your new phone. Now, you have a new telephone number to be used only for your business. That number goes on your signs. And when you bought it you were required to register. Only you aren't you. You are John Jones, and all of the info you submit is erroneous. Now, when the sign police call you and threaten you, there is no way to track you down since the number they have isn't registered to you and can't be traced to any address.

As for the properties you have right now, you need to be sure they are in line with current market conditions. Our area has definitely switched gears. The boom is over! And homeowners need to be made aware of this or you'll be sitting on properties for months at a time. Get the terms in line, or move on. Let the homeowner fight the market if this is their preference. Your time can be better spent.

 

 

That was going to be my other choice, put them up on Friday and pick them up on Monday.

 

MC. Your advice is always God send, thank you. I am sitting here wondering now why didn't I think of that? We are using a service, I got caught when some other business person called my number and explain to me that the city was making him pay a ticket because the phone number lead to him but he called the number and it lead to me so after we talked he gave the city the number, by this time I said well it's not this guy's problem and he shouldn't be made to pay for my doings. So when the city called me I talked my way down to only a $120 ticket for two signs when there were really about 65 signs not to mention all the flyers post around.

 

But man this idea of a pre-paid phone I think that is a genius idea. I am paying about $10 bucks a month for the service, so if the phone seems to be cheaper then i might have to go with your idea anyhow it's a great idea. Thank you again.

 

And as far as the proerties you are right, I have made my sellers know about the market and what I am now wating for is to hear which way they want to go and move on let them fight the market.

 

I have been called several times by code enforcement. What I have been doing is the same as other people are doing including investors, builders, apartment buildings. That is to put up the signs when code enforcement is not in the office. I place my signs on friday and then pick them up on sunday. No more calls from the city for me.

 

-Steve

[Steve 0]

I'm trying something a little different. I have an investor with about 15 townhomes he's looking to sell as RTO. He wants me to do the marketing, and is paying me a referral fee for each buyer I get. He's not doing any of his own advertising, so I don't have any competition. He's paying me 2k for each TB I can bring him, and the best part is since this isn't a CA, I don't even have to show these people the homes, just pre-qualify them!

 

Anyway, I know the town they're in is extremely strict on signs, I drove around, and there are none! Somebody suggested that I advertise using the mobile signs, so starting Monday I have a mobile sign going up in a great high traffic area. The problem is that since I don't have any property to put the sign, I had to find a business owner to let me use their property. The whole thing is costing 200/week (includes sign, permit, and land rental) which is the same cost to advertise in the newspapers. I'll keep everyone posted on the results of this campaign. At least now I don't have to worry about the sign police, and driving 45 minutes to put out signs in the middle of the night.

 

Steve

[MichaelC 160]

Interesting deal, Steve, with mucho potential. The key will come down to getting the word out. Get enough folks looking and the deals will fall. . .at $2K a pop for you. Not bad at all.

I had a similar deal years back in Albuquerque. I met a builder who was putting up townhomes. If I remember correctly he had about 45 units in various stages of completion. I responded to an ad he had in the paper for a townhome for sale. We met, we talked, and he handed me the master key to every property in the development. He was trying to sell, while I was setting up RTO's. He paid me a grand per deal. Not hard work, and not a bad payoff for my efforts.

[Craig 0]

I'm trying something a little different. I have an investor with about 15 townhomes he's looking to sell as RTO. He wants me to do the marketing, and is paying me a referral fee for each buyer I get. He's not doing any of his own advertising, so I don't have any competition. He's paying me 2k for each TB I can bring him, and the best part is since this isn't a CA, I don't even have to show these people the homes, just pre-qualify them!

 

Anyway, I know the town they're in is extremely strict on signs, I drove around, and there are none! Somebody suggested that I advertise using the mobile signs, so starting Monday I have a mobile sign going up in a great high traffic area. The problem is that since I don't have any property to put the sign, I had to find a business owner to let me use their property. The whole thing is costing 200/week (includes sign, permit, and land rental) which is the same cost to advertise in the newspapers. I'll keep everyone posted on the results of this campaign. At least now I don't have to worry about the sign police, and driving 45 minutes to put out signs in the middle of the night.

 

Steve

 

Say Steve do I get this right you are looking for land to rent for your signs that advertise a house your trying to rent? Damn this is getting to much like GE WORK.

 

Also try paying high traffic intersection houses to put up real estate signs for you giving them 10 dollars for the month. Just make sure its per code for the size ... It might be worth it in high traffic areas with a slightly larger sign.

[Steve 0]

Also try paying high traffic intersection houses to put up real estate signs for you giving them 10 dollars for the month. Just make sure its per code for the size ... It might be worth it in high traffic areas with a slightly larger sign.

 

This sign I'm using is huge, 8 feet by 10 feet in a high traffic area. The guy who does the signs in the area also tells me that I should be able to get away with putting up bandit signs on Friday and taking them down Sunday, but I shouldn't expect to have them up very long come Monday. He's going to ask his grandkid if he's interested to do that work.

[kennon 0]

I have gotten fined, warned, and even stopped in the middle of the street. Cruiser came right around me and blocked me. Like I was OJ fleeing the scene. He fined me.. Most of the time I get warnings. I have done extensive research in the city codes, and usually able to quote verbatim the code to the officer. My signs usually follow code, now. I also usually point out the New home signs and political signs that arent in code to the officer (that is how I have gotten from being fined multiple times). I usually place signs with other signs (less trouble), like XXXX builders. New Homes ---> signs. Somehow mine keep disappearing while the others stay. It is all fun and games. I still get calls. Placing signs on fri and picking them up on sun, to much gas, time. but that is just me. just had to say my two cents....

kennon

[kennon 0]

Quick thought, I havent talked to my accountant about it. Since fines are expenses in my business, can they be tax deductable.

kennon

[Doug Pretorius (ON) 9]

kennon, fines are tax deductable as business expenses in Canada, the oil companies do it whenever they have an accidential "release".