I am Jake Knight, full-time real estate investor based in Northern CA. I’ve spent 20 years of my career in real estate and the last 7 years flipping houses.
The HGTV shows reveal all the glamorous transformations, but the real beauty is in working with sellers to create win-wins.
As a for-profit business it’s difficult to compete on price alone. I’ve had to come up with other ways to make sellers happy. For most of them, selling on the market is the right choice. For the ~5% or so that have other needs, I have some innovative ways to help them. In the end, you’ll be the one they thank.
Here are some ways I try to differentiate myself (please be sure to communicate these to your seller):
Flexible closing options that are especially helpful for those sellers looking to buy again.
Coordinating the sale and purchase of two homes at the same time is always stressful.
A popular option is for your seller to do their home shopping then go into contract for their purchase, then immediately initiate my 10-day escrow to buy their home.
This allows them to become a cash-buyer and more competitive for their new home, plus gives them peace of mind and reduced stress about the whole process. No obligation to sell to me if they do not find a new home.
Ask me about the details by filling out the contact form at the bottom of this page or calling me at 510-220-0712.
We offer flexible closing options that are especially helpful for those sellers looking to buy again.
For example, we can do longer escrows, give free rentbacks, monthly leases, or just be ready to close in a short time once your seller is in contract for their purchase.
We will help with (or pay for) moving logistics.
Everything from renting a POD, finding reputable packers/movers, or coordinating an estate sale.
The seller can leave any and all unwanted items behind.
This serves to lessen the stress of moving, which is never easy after living in one place for decades.
Minimal visits needed. We can work off of pictures then complete only one inspection.
Minimal contingencies. We never do appraisal or loan contingencies and only need one quick inspection completed. If needed, we can do no contingencies.
Additionally,
-I can do longer escrows
-free 30-day rentbacks
-monthly leases after 30 days of rentback (usually with hard deadline & escrow holdback)
-no cleaning or repairs
I’m a big believer in sharing the wealth and providing incentives to my agent partners. These deals don’t come around every day, but when they do, I hope you keep me in mind!
You bring me a lead to review. I reply ASAP with an offer or questions (I make it a big point to get you feedback right away).
It’s helpful to have pictures but I can also work from a thorough description of the property and understanding what the seller’s goals are (many times it’s more than just price).
If the terms and price are acceptable to the seller, we can move towards a written contract.
You can represent me as buyer when we purchase whether or not you represent the seller. The situation may vary but just know that I will not have my own agent.
I generally prefer houses that fall within the median price of that area upon resale. That median will change area to area, but I want to make sure we’re selling (or renting) to the largest pool of buyers after we rehab. That is why I mostly stay away from luxury and rural properties.
I believe in running a transparent, reputable company and since I started in 2016 I have asked my clients and business partners to leave feedback on Google and Yelp. Some of the reviews are from fellow agents who brought me deals and then re-listed them after the renovation.
I believe the best way for us to work together is on the occasional off-market home that you control. I’m not going anywhere so even if that deal doesn’t happen for a long time, I would love to stay “top of mind” when it does hit your desk.
My two primary markets are the Bay Area and Sacramento metro, however, I do buy rental properties all around the country and to-date have purchased homes in 17 states.
While most of the houses I buy have some sort of physical distress (i.e. fixers), the best deals are the ones where I can solve a personal situation.
Examples would be: probates, hoarder homes, tenanted homes, tax delinquent or foreclosure, seller needs a longer rent back or fast sale, inherited homes, seller values privacy/discretion, etc.
I can be reached via text, call or email and have no preference on how to be contacted. Please contact me with ANY questions no matter how big or small.
I don’t put my email online because the spam bots will find me so please fill out a contact form or just reach out via call/text.
I’d love to chat for 5-10 minutes to learn more about how we can work together and bring value to each other’s business.
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On the other hand, there are some sellers who need a custom solution due to either the property’s condition or the seller’s personal situation, or a combination of the two.
When the property is in really bad shape, they’re likely going to sell to an investor, so it may make sense to save money on commissions and find their own investor.
Some examples of personal situations that we can help with are: hoarding, pre-foreclosure or other financial issues that require a fast home sale, house with non-paying tenants or squatters, severely delinquent property taxes, homeowners who want to rent back the home longer than normal, or sellers who value privacy and/or are embarrassed by their home.
If your seller lead meets these criteria, you should propose the idea of making an introduction to me. You can simply suggest to them that your partner or colleague buys houses and ask if they are interested in speaking with me. Remember, you are not performing real estate agent duties. See our disclaimer below. The main thing to keep in mind at this point is to qualify them as a good fit or not. I can help you with the documentation and process things.
