Most agents who send us a property have the same question first: how much do you actually need from me? The honest answer is less than you think. This post walks through what to send, what kinds of properties we buy, and what happens after you hit submit, so you can decide in a few minutes whether a listing or a seller lead is a fit for Trident Investments Inc.
Start with the address
Our deal form asks for four things: the property address, an asking price if your seller has one in mind, your name and your phone number. That’s it. If you’d rather talk it through, call or text (909) 584-3345. We would much rather get a rough deal early than a polished package a week too late.
After that first look, these details help us get you a solid answer faster:
- Occupancy. Vacant, owner-occupied, tenant-occupied, or someone living there without permission.
- Condition. A short, honest description: roof age, any fire or water damage, foundation or plumbing issues, unpermitted additions.
- Your seller’s timeline. Do they need to be out in two weeks, or do they need sixty days to find their next place?
- Anything unusual. Probate or trust sales, liens, a pending foreclosure date, septic or well questions, or HOA issues.
- Photos, if you have them. Phone pictures are fine. They save a trip when the house needs a lot of work.
What we buy
We buy single-family homes, condos and townhomes, 2–4 unit properties, 5+ unit apartment buildings, and land or vacant lots. Most of our purchases are in the Inland Empire, across San Bernardino County and Riverside County, and we also buy in Los Angeles County and Orange County. Since 2011 our family has bought and sold 359 homes in 36 Southern California cities, from San Bernardino, Fontana and Rialto to Riverside, Pomona and Moreno Valley.
Condition is rarely the deal-breaker. We buy as-is, and the homes we look at most often are the ones that are hard to sell the normal way:
- Probate, trust and inherited properties
- Tenant-occupied homes and small multifamily
- Fire damage, from smoke damage up to a total loss
- Major repairs: roof, foundation, plumbing or water damage
- Failed septic, a bad well, or no sewer hookup
- Vacant or hoarder houses, where the seller wants to leave what they don’t need
- Owners who are behind on payments and need to move quickly
We wrote a longer piece on hard-to-finance listings if most of your inventory looks like that list.
What happens after you submit
Here is the sequence on a typical deal:
- We call you within 24 hours with questions, or with a first range if the details are clear.
- We look at the property, in person or from photos, depending on condition and occupancy. We work around tenants and around your seller’s schedule.
- We make an all-cash offer with no lender or appraisal contingencies. We explain how we got to the number: location, condition, the repairs it needs and what similar remodeled homes nearby have sold for.
- Your seller decides. The offer is free and there is no obligation to accept it.
- We close in about 7 days, or on your seller’s timeline if they need longer to move.
Your deal stays yours
When you send us a property, we don’t market it, shop it to other buyers, or go around you to your seller. The seller stays your client and everything goes through you. That matters most with off-market deals, where your relationship with the owner is the whole reason the deal exists. If that’s the kind of property you have, read our post on doing off-market and pocket listings right.
One more thing worth being clear about: when Trident Investments Inc. buys a property directly, we are buying as a principal for our own account. We are not your seller’s agent and we don’t represent your seller. You do.
How you get paid
Bring us the deal and you represent us on the purchase, and you can represent us on the resale after we remodel. We go over the details with you on every deal before anything is signed. We explain how that works in One deal, two sides.
What isn’t a fit
We’re not the right buyer for every property, and we’ll tell you quickly so you can move on. If the house is in great shape and your seller has time to wait on a financed buyer, the open market may get them more. We say that out loud. Our post on cash buyers vs. financed buyers covers how to talk through that choice with your seller.
Ready when you are
Send the address through the deal form, or call or text (909) 584-3345. Want to see more first? Browse our listings to see the kind of work we do, or download the free agent’s guide to keep the checklist handy.