This breaking news was reported by Scott Arpan of Advanced Seller Data Services (ASDS) based on the analysis of information collected by their company.

They currently compile data from the public recording offices for owner financed real estate notes in over 1600 counties across the United States.

Observations on Owner Financing Market Growth

• The number of seller carry-back loans grew 15% in 2010 and will exceed an additional 25% growth rate in 2011.

• This trend should continue. The first 3 weeks of January 2012 saw a 35% increase in seller loans created over the first 3 weeks of 2011.

• Rehabbers and developers were a major producer of notes through 2007 as indicated by sellers who created more than one note (over 20% of all notes created).

• The current market is dominated by individual sellers who create only one note (over 90% of the market in 2011).

Source: Report released 1/20/12 by Advanced Seller Data Services. See insert for additional details including an owner financing count by state and a graph comparison.

Click to View Full Report and Graph

 

 

Why Seller Financing Is On The Rise

It’s no secret that banks have tightened lending criteria following the subprime meltdown and a record number of defaults. It takes a credit score over 720 and 20% cash down to qualify for the best conventional financing rates.

On top of all that, many buyers have experienced a decline in their credit ratings due to foreclosure or job loss in the wake of a weak economy and declining real estate market. These ingredients combine to make a recipe for alternative creative financing like the seller carry-back.

About Note Seller Lists

A proven method for finding and buying real estate notes is mailing to owner financed note holders. Advanced Seller Data Services makes it easy to obtain this information by compiling the courthouse data and selling in a convenient ready to use format. No more going to the courthouse to find notes.

When we interviewed ASDS President Scott Arpan back in October of 2010, he predicted this increase with the following comment,

“As real estate agents, sellers and buyers discover the benefits of seller financing we will see even more of a boom. I believe now is the best time to enter the note business since the mid 1990’s.”

You can catch that full interview including information on their services by clicking here: Find Cash Flow Notes with Note Seller Lists  or visit them online at NoteSellerList.com.

Learning The Note Business

The note business involves matching sellers with note buyers and earning a fee.  As a note broker learns the business they can consider the transition to purchasing notes for their own portfolio or in tax-free retirement accounts. You may enjoy these articles to learn more about the note business:

Learn the Note Business in 60 Seconds?

5 Myths About the Cash Flow Note Business

Going From Note Broker to Note Buyer

Watch this video walk-through to answer these important questions for finding cash flow notes online:

• Why should I bother with having a website?
• What is the best engine for running a site?
• What should my website say?
• How do I get potential cash flow note sellers to contact me?
• Where can I find an affordable website for my cash flow business?
• How can I keep control and update my site?

If you would like to view the demo web sites shown in the video just click here:

Note Buyer Sites Demo

When the link opens just click on any of the photos or site names to demo each website live.

What is the current focus of Americus Financial Group?

To maintain our reputation as the recognized leader in the purchasing of real estate notes nationwide. In addition, with our knowledge and experience we strive to assure that each transaction is fast, satisfying, and stress-free.

How did you get your start in the note business?

Buying and selling real estate in the mid 80’s. I was introduced to seller-financed real estate early in my real estate career and in 1988 was hired to purchase real estate receivables, structured settlements and lotteries for a multi-billion dollar financial services corporation until my departure in 2003 to start Americus Financial Group.

What unique benefits does your note buying company provide?

We do ALL our own underwriting, pay for ALL appraisals and we are the only investor to my knowledge that does not require the servicing to be released.

What type of notes or transactions will your company consider funding?

Each transaction (as long as it is secured by real estate) is reviewed based on the following criteria in order:

1. Equity
2. Seasoning
3. Collateral Type (SFR, Commercial, Land)
4. Credit

What type of note deals would just waste your time?

Simultaneous closings and “flips”

How do you handle commissions to note brokers or consultants?

They are paid at funding (when we close the transaction). Most fees are wired to our brokers.

What advice would you give to new professionals just starting out in the note industry?

This is a vocation/profession so treat as such – educate yourself and understand that you will ultimately be rewarded with the amount of time and effort you truly put into it.

What is the most common business mistake you see people make?

Requiring and gathering too much information from the note holder before they have the transaction even under contract.

Given the current economy, have you made any changes in the way you buy mortgage notes?

Yes we have –

• As noted above, we no longer purchase simultaneous closings or flips
• We require a minimum of 20% cash equity on most note purchases.

Where can someone contact you to obtain more information?

www.AmericusBuysNotes.com

Editor’s Note:  You can also view the Americus Financial Group listing in the current edition of the Note Buyers Directory for more details!  This updated directory is available for download in the Member’s area of the Finding Cash Flow Notes Training or can be found in the bookstore.

Get some real life lessons learned from my worst real estate note investment!

The note was secured by a small single family house in Arizona. The owners of the property ran a commercial cleaning business in Las Vegas and were planning to use the property in Arizona as a second home/ vacation home.

They purchased the home for $85,000 with a $20,000 down payment and the seller carried back a $65,000 note with $1,000 per month payments at 0% and a final balloon payment due after 24 months.

It sounded like a nice note with 8 months of on-time payments, a significant down payment and a final balloon payment paying off in 16 months.

What could go wrong buying this note?

Pretty much everything with this note did.

We knew that receiving the on-time balloon payment would be a bonus and went into the transaction knowing that we most likely would need to modify the note and extend the terms. The note had a balance of around $57,000 and we purchased the note for around $43,000 which gave us some flexibility in the terms we would be able to offer.

What we didn’t anticipate was having to modify the note well before the balloon payment became due. Unfortunately we only received a handful of monthly payments and then the payments stopped.

I contacted the payors and they asked for some extra time. They claimed they had a large cleaning client who was supposed to pay them soon and they assured us they would then pay us. After two months of more conversations and no payment we modified the note to a lower monthly payment that they said they could manage.

These payments continued for a while, but then they again stopped. The sellers asked to modify the note again with a lower monthly payment and another one year extension. We agreed. When the payors defaulted on this second modification we decided to foreclose and move on.

After the time consuming foreclosure process, we put the property on the market in February of 2011. We sold the house eight months later for $37,0000 and have so far received two on-time payments. While financially this has been one of our worst investments, educationally this has been one of our best. Here are the main lessons that we learned.

Lessons Learned on How to Buy Notes

Here are the key learning points gained from buying real estate notes:

Balloon Payments Very Rarely Materialize

While we knew the balloon was unlikely to pay off, we hoped the owners might have some cash on hand to diffuse the balloon. The fact is successful balloon payments are usually the result of the ability of the payor to obtain credit from someone else.

Note Modifications

If you require a note modification, know that a foreclosure is probably soon to follow. Prepare accordingly.

Credit

While we knew we were playing with fire on this note, we now have fully learned our lesson. We will never, ever get involved with a note where the payors have a credit score that starts with a 5. This shows you that the payors have a refined habit of not keeping their promises (other notes we hold confirm this too).

Consider Terms

Be cautious of owners who previously were able to negotiate 0% financing. You will come across this occasionally and buyers who negotiate this may be more difficult to deal with if you step into a transaction with them. We found this to be the case in both modification agreements we attempted.

Partials Protect

We should have moved ahead with a partial with the note seller which would have kept our investment lower and also would have kept the note seller interested in how the payors performed.

Non-payment Action

When a note investment stops paying, act quickly. When you hear the payor’s story, listen, but continue to move toward getting a payment in quickly. By giving a payor more time, it rarely solves their problem and only makes it more difficult for the payor to get caught up. They are more likely to bring the account current when the amount outstanding is within reach for them.

We lost a ton of time and energy on this note but at the same time we are better note buyers and investors today because of it.

About the Author: Greg Gehlen is the Principal at Canyon Capital, which specializes in the purchase of real estate notes and deeds of trust. He can be contacted at 702.515.7416 or online at www.canyoncap.com

You may also enjoy reading these additional articles on buying mortgage notes by Greg Gehlen:

How to Buy Real Estate Notes Without Going Broke

Transitioning from Note Broker to Note Investor

Real Estate Note Investing: “Wow, That Sounds Risky!”

Note Buyer Success Story

Here’s a look at each group including tips for finding and selecting the best note buyer.

Over the past 20 years we have both bought and sold thousands of cash flow notes.  We’ve found that most will fall into one of these…

4 Types of Note Buyers

#1 Institutional Investors

The institutional investor will purchase notes on a national basis with their own funds. They might hold for long investment or later securitize on the secondary market. These are the “big boys” of the industry with the ability to write the check at closing. They do not usually contact a broker or seller if a note fails to pay, unless there is concern over fraud and/or a first payment default.

#2 Private Investors

The private investor purchases notes on a smaller scale, usually limited to a certain geographic region. It is a bit harder to find private investors. Often they are cultivated through word of mouth or by networking with local investor groups. These might include doctors, lawyers, real estate investors, and/or self-directed retirement accounts.

Extreme caution is recommended when dealing with private investors. Special consideration must be given to:

• The fact that a private investor is more likely than an institutional investor to come knocking on your door due to a late or missed payment from the note payer.
• The sophistication level of the private investor. Are they truly equipped to underwrite, close, and service a note?
• Whether there is any implied or actual guarantee provided on the performance of the note.
• Compliance with all aspects of SEC, including restrictions on the solicitation of investors and the offering of unregistered securities.

A whole manual could be written on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Generally, you will be safe from violating the SEC rules if you avoid 1) soliciting investors through advertisement, 2) only sell one note to one investor, and 3) have the investor take ownership of the note and perform all due diligence for themselves. If you choose to play in this arena, please seek competent legal counsel.

#3 Mentor/Master Broker

Another option is to find a note buyer or broker that will act as a mentor. An experienced mentor should have at least seven years of active participation in the cash flow note business. This mentor is sometimes referred to as a master consultant or master broker. They usually buy some notes for their own account and help place others with institutional investment funds. The “master consultant” usually receives compensation through either an upfront mentorship fee or as some split or percentage of the transaction at closing.

#4 Posers

This group pretends to be investors – but they rarely (if ever) fund a deal themselves. This leads to a daisy chain of note brokers that can make it tough to get deals closed. Unfortunately, most of the online note listing services are overrun by people pretending to be investors. Either deal with the end-user or once removed through a master consultant. Any more hands in the pot will tend to spoil the price and effectiveness.

The first step to marketing a note for top dollar is to locate several reliable investors that are preferably end-users. There are several ways to locate an investor with varying degrees of success.

Being in the Internet age, many simply visit the Web and search for…

Note Buyers, Note Investors, Contract Buyers, Private Mortgages, Trust Deed Buyers,

or some combination thereof. Maybe that’s how you found us. Might I be frank? That is for rookies.

Now if you are a note buyer or note broker, using the Internet can be a great way to find notes for sale. However, it is NOT the best way to find investors to purchase those notes.  Why? Because without prior knowledge it is hard to know whether you are dealing with a reputable investor or a poser.

We’ve simplified your search by providing our personal Rolodex of investors in the Directory of Owner Financed Note Buyers and Service Providers. This valuable resource has been updated for 2012 and made available in our bookstore!

You are not alone. Here are some helpful tips from a recent note broker inquiry.

I previously owned a mortgage broker business and in 2007 did dabble in the note business. I also closed about 4-5 deals as a note broker. I have since closed my mortgage broker business and would like to get into note brokering, but I have a limited budget to start with (about $2000 – $3000). I purchased your program for support and to acquire additional knowledge. How do you suggest I spend my limited funds to get started?

George P. – Virginia Beach VA

Hello George!

You ask a great question and actually have a decent marketing budget to get started. You also have the benefit of being ahead of the learning curve by having already closed several deals.

You will need to set aside enough to cover your basic business setup costs (phone number, business cards, brochures, licenses, and a website).

While there are people in this business buying notes that don’t have a website, I truly believe you need at least a basic 5 to 7 page Note Buyer website to be in business these days. Think of the site as your storefront, providing credibility for your services.

All of these setup items can usually be accomplished with under a $500 budget.

The least expensive way to market is by building a referral base. This can be done through networking with other professionals, offering local trainings, and Reverse Ad Marketing for the note business. Great networking candidates are real estate professionals, agents, CPAs, real estate attorneys, mortgage brokers, and real estate investment clubs. Referral marketing takes your time rather than your dollars and will utilize your business cards, brochures, and website from the setup process.

Run the free ads available online with sites like Craigslist, Ebay classifieds, and other online directories. Avoid buying classified ads or expensive display ads. Print ads rarely payoff unless you use a local want ad type paper (Nickel Nick, Penny Saver, etc) that offers low rates and you live in one of the high volume states for seller financing.

Look at a small but consistent direct mail campaign to note holders in your area. To save funds build the list yourself or purchase from a list provider like Advanced Seller Data Services. In order to maximize efforts, prequalify the notes for basic things like approximate equity (20% or more for best results) and property type (SFR). This will save you from paying postage to mail letters or postcards on deals that are harder to place with a note buyer.

The best way to stretch a small note broker marketing budget is to think local.

Work on branding yourself as the local seller financed note specialist. As funds become available then expand your efforts into other areas. You’ll find the “How To” details including sample scripts, brochures, and marketing pieces for each method in your member’s area of the Finding Cash Flow Notes training.

Hope that helps and feel free to contact me with additional questions.

To Your Success,

Tracy Z. Rewey

We Are Giving Away One Note Present Each Day For The Next 12 Days!

And there are TWO WAYS you can win…

Step One – Add your email below to gain one entry.

*Some browsers do not show the sign up box. If you can not see the entry box above this line you can also go here to sign up.

Double your chances of winning…

Step Two – Add a comment or question about the note business to the bottom of this page. Each day that you enter a comment or question, you gain an additional entry! Up to one entry per day.

List of Winners and Prizes…

December 1 – Michael Murray – 21 Insider Secrets / Note Buyer Directory

December 2 – Wayne Wright – 21 Insider Secrets / Note Buyer Directory

December 3 – Allen Robinson – 21 Insider Secrets / Note Buyer Directory

December 4 – Bankim Patel – Personal Profit Series: Notes

December 5 – Jay Martin – Personal Profit Series: Notes

December 6 – Richard Garcia – Personal Profit Series: Notes

December 7 – Howard Freeman – FULL ACCESS – Finding Cash Flow Notes Training

December 8 – Lisa Nesbit – FULL ACCESS – Finding Cash Flow Notes Training

December 9 – Tracy Day – FULL ACCESS – Finding Cash Flow Notes Training

December 10 – Mike Stoll – Complete Turnkey Note Business Website w/ 6 Months Hosting!

December 11 – Ken Lawrence – Complete Turnkey Note Business Website w/ 6 Months Hosting!

December 12 – Bill Cody – GRAND PRIZE (EVERYTHING!) 21 Secrets/Note Buyer Directory, Training Access, PPS: Notes, Complete Note Website w/ 6 Months Hosting!

Each day we will list the previous day’s winner! - Good Luck!

*Fine Print: Items will be awarded via random drawing. We reserve the right to substitute prizes in the event a winner has already purchased an item. Website winners will receive a completely built site (and 6 months of free hosting) – after which time they may either continue with hosting or cancel account. Winners of the Finding Cash Flow Notes Training will receive course access for a period of 12 months. Sorry, but these prizes can not be substituted for cash or refunds.

Thanks for making 2011 a great year for the note business!

We look forward to working with you in 2012!

Let me start by asking a question in return.

Pardon my directness but… What year are we in? Is it 1981 or 2011?

The information found at the courthouse can help you find and qualify leads. There are just much easier and faster ways to accomplish the same thing.

So let’s cut to the chase and make the same point I carefully explain in our online training.

“There is only one time you need to waste time physically visiting the courthouse to find notes. That is when the courthouse records are not online.”

Look, the courthouse does contain the recordings of all real estate documents for their county. And back in the 1980’s I also spent time wading through microfiche and handwritten ledgers. In fact before I was officially in the note business full time I worked for an attorney that owned a title company in a small town. One of our clients was a local note buyer that paid us to develop a list of leads. (Later I became the note buyer but that’s a different story).

But now? The last time I was at the courthouse was for jury duty!

Finding Notes with Online Courthouse Research

These days most counties have all recording data available online (including that rural area in Washington State previously mentioned). You can view the index of recordings, separate them out by document type, and scan for sellers that carried back the financing for the buyer. You can then view the Warranty Deed, Mortgage, Trust Deed, or Real Estate Contract in PDF format and print a copy (if needed).

Next you can visit the website for the County Tax Appraiser to get a feel for the current assessed value, sales history, property type, and other important indicators of whether there is enough equity to pursue the deal.

Yes, there are some tricks to finding the information online, but it’s still faster than a visit to the courthouse.

Now if a county does not have their records online it makes sense to physically visit a courthouse to research leads (or better yet hire someone to do it for you). But that number is dwindling. I’d estimate over 90% of records are available online (but there is opportunity in that other 10%).

So why go to the courthouse if the records are online?

If you LIKE going to the courthouse by all means knock yourself out. Personally my time is limited and I prefer to use more efficient ways to accomplish the same thing.

Simplify the Note Finding Process

Which leads us to the next question. Is it worth your time to spend a full day in front of the computer screen or at the courthouse to generate just 50 to 100 leads?

Well, the same basic information is available from a list provider for about 10 cents per name. That’s about $2.50 to $5.00 for an equal number of unqualified leads, which saves the time from wading through all the records just to find a seller financed note deal.

But what if you want to qualify the note is a good candidate for a note buyer before spending your money on mailing?

Now that you have the lead just research the documents and values through the online records. Yes, there will be some leads you won’t mail to but you can always separate them into a file to contact at a later date when they have more seasoning or equity.

Here’s one more way to simplify your note finding efforts. Work with a good list provider like Advanced Seller Data Services (ASDS) that lets you specify what sort of leads you desire (including things like equity, seasoning, location, property type, and even the seller’s proximity to the property).

Scott Arpan of ASDS recently shared his wealth of knowledge on direct mail for the note business in an hour-long interview that is available in the member’s area of the Finding Cash Flow Notes online training.

He even provided his excel worksheet that helps calculate costs, response rates, close rates, and anticipated returns. Plus we have a video walk-through that shows how to find the note information online including samples of proven letters, postcards and mailing schedules that get results.

Now that sounds like the note business in 2011!

It provides a main street solution to a wall street problem.

If you are wondering how to use real estate notes to achieve your goals in this tough economy then you will want to catch the audio replay of the Note Investor radio interview.

Last Tuesday we tuned in with Lisa Moren Bromma of Wise Women Radio to discuss the opportunities available to buyers, sellers, investors, and note brokers using owner financing.  Here is just a sampling of the hard hitting questions she posed:

• You talk about solving the problems of main street that wall street created. What have you seen through the years in the lending business and how does your company solve these problems?

• What does it take to be a note investor in today’s tough market?

• What is the most difficult part in brokering or buying private mortgages that one must watch out for?

• How do you qualify your investors? How do you qualify the borrower of the note?

• Can investors use their IRAs to buy seller financed notes? How does one go about buying a note for their IRA?

• You have developed a strong following as someone who knows her craft. Tell us about your online presence, what you offer to those who are interested in learning the note business in today’s upside down real estate market.

• How do you keep up-to-date with industry changes and laws like the HUD Safe Act and Dodd-Frank Law?

• Do you have any recommendations on how people can educate themselves?

• You have been so successful where many of our peers have failed. What is your secret?

• Can you give us 3 basic ways to find mortgages?

• You are in business with your husband Fred. Is it difficult to work together? What is the secret to working and maintaining a solid personal relationship/marriage.

• What’s next for you in business and in life?

Many of you already know Lisa Moren Bromma as both a marketing expert and long time note buyer / real estate investor.  She’s also a published author and has recently started an Internet radio talk show entitled Wise Women Radio.  It was fun to be interviewed by Lisa and I encourage you to listen to the free audio replay.

You can also check out the archived talk shows with past interview participants.  It is a great way to pick up ideas at no cost! All it takes is just a small investment of your time! You can listen to the Note Investor interview and others at: http://www.wisewomeninvestor.com/WWR.html

There are over 239 million users online making up 77% of the US population according to Internet Word Stats – and that number is only growing!

With potential customers online there are great reasons for note buyers and note brokers to build a website. Your site will:

Advertise Services
Provide Credibility
Serve as a Virtual Storefront
Generate Quote Request Leads
Supply Around the Clock Customer Access

While your goal is to create a web presence for your note buying company, don’t forget the number one purpose…

Fill the Customers Need By Solving Their Problem!

 It takes planning to build a successful website. So let’s look at the..

7 Steps for Building a Successful Note Business Website

 #1 Determine Primary Purpose

Take some time to decide on the primary function of your note business site.

Is it strictly a brochure or corporate style site that provides information about your company?

Will it provide educational content to help people understand the process of creating and selling notes?

Is the focus to motivate visitors to complete an online quote request worksheet?

Are you trying to attract visitors through online search engines or will you use offline advertising to drive traffic?

While a website can try to fill all of these needs the primary and secondary goals should be evident to users and the action you want them to take.

#2. Select Programming Platform

A brochure site is generally static with minimal updates. However an educational site or one designed to attract search engine traffic will need frequent new content.

This will play a role in selecting a programming platform. While web developers often have their own preference for programming we have found WordPress.org to be an excellent option. This content management system (CMS) is not just for blogs. Many companies are now taking advantage of its functionality using a combination of static pages and blog style articles.

#3 Purchase Domain Name

Many business owners default to a domain name that closely resembles their company name. However, there are benefits to selecting a domain name that includes keywords, which indicate you buy notes. Including words like note buyer, note investor, trust deed buyer, or contact buyer will clearly tell people what you do.

For example, when we started Diversified Investment Services, Inc. in 1997 we selected the domain name of diversifiedinvestment.com. We couldn’t shorten it to the initials DIS because it was already in use by Disney. Initially our selection worked fine because people were contacting us from ads, business cards, brochures, and other offline marketing efforts.

Over time we found our choice was long, hard to spell, and did not specifically describe note buying. As the number of web sites increased and search engines evolved we discovered there were advantages to using keywords in the URL. In 2001 we started using NoteInvestor.com for online traffic. We then switched the static site to a WordPress Platform in 2008 to make it more search engine friendly and easy to update.

For additional keyword ideas related to note buying you can use the GOOGLE™ Keyword Tool or refer to the SEO & Keywords section of the Finding Cash Flow Notes Training.

Ideally the business name and the website would both contain important keywords, but depending on timing and domain name availability they might be different. To research and register domain names we use:

• GoDaddy
• NameCheap

You should purchase, own, and control your domain name. Don’t leave this valuable asset in someone else’s hands. Also avoid using subdomains (where your website name is added onto a different main domain name).

#4 Find Reliable Hosting

Once you have purchased a domain name for your note business you will need to select a web hosting company. This is where the files that make up your website reside on the World Wide Web.

For most sites a shared hosting plan will fit the traffic demands. This is a much more reasonable option than using a dedicated server. We are using and including the services of Host Gator for all the Note Buyer Sites with great results.

Once the hosting company is selected you will need to update the domain registrar account with your new name servers.

#5 Plan Design

When planning a note business website be sure to keep these design elements in mind:

• Professional – The site needs to look like it represents a business. This includes photos and backgrounds. Use colors like blue, green, or maroon that invoke feelings of trust, reliability, and stability. There is a reason the banks and other financial companies lean towards these colors.

• Visually Appealing – Visitors should find the site inviting. If it contains excessive graphics, music, or content they will hit the dreaded “back” button in the browser window – never to return.

• Simple Navigation – Make it easy to move from one page or topic to the next using breadcrumb style navigation links. If you want them to first and foremost, Request a Quote, then make that a prevalent option or link on every page!

• Demographics – Take into consideration the age and preferences of the average visitor. For most it is easier to read black text on a white background in a San Serif style font (like Verdana) for online applications. Also bump up the font size of text to something above 12 point so it is easy to read.

• Less is More – It should be very clear what each page is about and the action the visitor should take next. Avoid clutter and break content into two to three lines per paragraph with good use of headings.

• Above the Fold – The most important items should be viewed on the top half of the page, before a user needs to scroll down. Like newspaper headlines, above the fold is gold on the Internet too.

• Behind the Scenes – The design should take into consideration load times and active links. Sites are penalized by search engines for broken links or slow load times.

• Useful – Give users what they are looking for. The design and content should all focus on solving their problem and meeting their needs.

#6 Write Content

Next up is the content. What will you include on your website? Here are the five most common pages for successful note buyer sites:

• About – This page tells people “Who We Are”. It should stress the benefits and credibility of your company. A photo of you can be helpful when building trust online.

• Services – This covers What We Do” or “How We Help” the customer. It should be benefits oriented and help the customer see what’s in it for them.

• Request a Quote – Clearly let visitors know how they can obtain a quote or free analysis of the note’s fair market value. Standard options are to have them call for a quote, download a form to print, complete and fax, and/or input the information online using a form that submits the information to you via email notification.

• Frequently Asked Questions – Common questions that people have when selling mortgage notes.

• Contact Us – How the customer can contact you. Include name, address, phone number, fax number, and email address. If you don’t want to display the email address then have a form they can submit or email information.

In addition to the five minimum pages there are benefits to including the following:

• Articles – Helpful tips and ongoing articles that let sellers know how they can improve the value of their note. Also provide updates on market conditions, tax time tips, or reminders to check tax and insurance status. Articles also help your site take advantage of using updated content to improve search engine rankings. Just don’t let the articles overtake the home page for a site that is focused just on note holders. The articles should be accessed from a link on the home page to a secondary page and/or show the most recent article titles in a side bar.

• Email Sign up – Collect emails of note holders by offering something in exchange for their email address.

• Testimonials – Including testimonials from satisfied customers or showing how a problem was solved on a transaction can boost confidence a note seller should contact your company.

• Privacy Policy – This page explains your privacy policy and is usually included with a link in the footer area.

• RSS Feed – The RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed provides for easy notification of updates to websites.

While developing your content be sure to research what the competition is doing. Visit sites with top listings in the paid and natural search engine results to see how they are promoting their services.

#7 Get Help

Once you have a plan and content you are ready to create the site. It is possible to build the website yourself using ready-made templates and tutorials available on the Internet.  But unless this is your specialty or hobby, it is easy to end up frustrated and dissatisfied with the results.

If you are not comfortable with a do it yourself method, you’ll want to hire a web developer to install and build your site. If you approach a developer with an exact plan including content in hand, it is possible to have a basic site implemented for around $200 – $500 using an existing template.

Or better yet, tour the 5 sample Note Buyer Sites. These sites were designed specifically for the note business using top-level technology and provide all the design and content elements essential to finding cash flow notes. With these ready to go sites, 6 out of 7 the steps have already been done for you. Just purchase your domain name and leave the rest to our team.

Once your site is up and running commit to adding new content at least once a month to keep it relevant and fresh for both potential customers and search engines.

So does your note business need a website or maybe a new look?  Be sure to check out the introductory special at NoteBuyerSites.com!