Often real estate investors believe that [1] real estate listings are not good lead sources. They think that people with distressed properties will not have time to wait on an agent. Investors spend lots of time and money finding deals in alternate ways. These alternatives may include bandit signs, finding deserted properties and running 800 numbers.

You know that you should never neglect solid sources on leads for investment properties. Using real estate listings can often get you better results than you think. A real estate listing will help you determine certain things. You might end up with a great investment opportunity thanks to this information.

You should not neglect to use free sources of leads. You can and should use real estate listings to locate good investment properties. Keep an eye out for the following flags:

* Keep an eye out for houses that have been listed a long time - If a house has been listed for a long time, the owners may be getting nervous. They might not realize that there are options outside of a realtor. Your contacting them could be a lifesaver as far as they are concerned.

* Home prices that have been recently lowered - People who are dropping their asking prices are often motivated sellers. After all, if they had time to spare then they would wait out the buyers. Drops in price may indicate an owner’s need to get out.

* FSBO signs in yards or listings are promising - It is likely that FSBO owners are overwhelmed. They may just be glad to get out of their position. They also may take a lower offer because they are not paying commission.

* Owner financing is a good sign - This type of risky financing is always more perilous than bank loans. It may involve working with buyers who do not have enough credit to get a bank loan. If a property owner will take this type of risk then they may be a motivated seller.

You can see now how real estate listings are actually a great source of leads. Use your local real estate listings to spot some potential deals today.