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Let’s say you are interested in getting started wholesaling properties but not sure what the state laws are concerning this kind of real estate transactions and you don’t want to break any laws unknowingly.

Although every state is different, I assure you that wholesaling is legal everywhere. This is just business like any other and the free market system – buying low and selling high – nothing illegal about that.

Also if you are not a realtor, you don’t have to worry about many things because you are not considered a professional. Even though some realtors don’t know Jack: I have some friends who have taken Realtor test – in several different sates – and passed without studying. In most states you only have to score a 70 to pass the exam and get your license. When I was in school that was a D grade. So much for them being professional.

Anyway, here is my philosophy about the legal aspect. Do what is right and be brutally honest in everything you do – and you have nothing to worry about. If you are still concerned about the legality, talk to a real estate closing attorney (or a real estate specific attorney) and they can direct you.

Again, the only people that are or should be worried about legalities are people who are trying to cheat people, in my opinion. As long as the purchase is an “As Is” purchase, you are fine. A buyer will not be able to come back on you. Don’t be dishonest about anything and don’t try to trick anybody in any kind of way. So do right, tell the truth, and you should have nothing to worry about.

Bird dogging and beginning wholesaling are not the same, although there are a lot of similarities between them. The control over who has the buyers is the largest difference.

To explain it simply, a bird dog basically finds houses (or, sometimes, buyers) for an investor who buys and then sells or keeps the house. It is like finding a deal and assigning it to another buyer – what beginning wholesalers do a lot. But usually the bird dog is not making nearly as much money as the wholesaler.

I also started with bird dogging houses for investors. It allowed me to become really good at one part of the business – finding deals – but I had no idea how to sell properties. Knowing how to find buyers is where the wholesaling begins. A wholesaler is good at all aspects of the business: finding deals and finding buyers.

When I was bird dogging I was making great money (I thought). I was making 500 to 1000 bucks a house and I was finding 5-10 deals a month for the other investors. When I decided to go at it alone and find my own buyers, my income increased dramatically – I was then getting 3-5k on every deal doing the same amount of deals as before.

Once I got to wholesaling houses strong, I am using hard money and I close on all my contracts, only occasionally assigning a contract. As your business grows and you become a true wholesaler, you really begin to see how different it is from bird dogging.

With all apparent similarities, once you take a closer look you see that the main difference is control. I don’t depend on anybody but myself, I have a group of buyers I sell to on a monthly basis, and I have people that bird dog for me. I may pay them 500 or 1000 for their work while I make up to 5k just seeing through the deal they found. You see the difference?

Bird dogging is the way to start. You may never want to go further than that, but if you are planning on being full time and being able to do it when the market is up or when the market is down, you need to push to become a wholesaler as fast as you can.