Have you ever wondered how those striking yellow and black signboards got started or how they managed to get into every corner of the Western World and beyond? Their beginnings can be traced to the “Savings and Loans” real estate crisis that erupted in the southern states of the US in the late 1980s and early 1990s. 

It was a time when, out of need, a tiny group of daring and enterprising individuals rewrote the book on how to buy and sell real estate. Given that black writing on a yellow background was the most noticeable color combination to the unaided eye, this guerrilla marketing technique originated from the streets. The divisive, but very effective “We Buy Houses” signs started to appear everywhere and on anything. 

Assumable real estate loan writing was abolished in 1989, and new investment real estate loans were temporarily prohibited. Due to a shortage of institutional financing, unique marketing strategies were developed in order to resell in a market that had up to 30% vacancy in some regions. 

It was a crazy time in history with price discounts measuring 90% in some cases, 80% in many, and we would have to use in-store credit to buy musical instruments then street-sell at 50% to create purchase funds, according to Richard Otton (The We Buy Guy), who was a first-hand participant during these turbulent times. 

There is a perception that we are nearing an even higher financial precipice for many people today who have never experienced such dramatic market movements. However, there is a voice from earlier crises that can be heard when we turn to the past, indicating how to find a way through the impending financial storm. 

Richard, who has a background in subliminal science, discovered ways to make money by buying and reselling homes and condos at a time when the word “real estate” was frowned upon. He also developed marketing strategies that cut through the noise and are still used by many “We Buy Houses” participants today. 

Has the We Buy Houses name sparked debate and drawn the ire of authorities and some sectors of the establishment? Absolutely! It is “We The People” who are now pleading for a return of their independence and wealth while authorities all over the world attempt to stifle free-thinking entrepreneurial brains. 

Richard Otton now seeks to develop his business connections and network with other investors and businesspeople throughout the world in order to create new opportunities and mutually beneficial profit centers. While doing so, he continues to aggressively invest in the many We Buy Houses regions across the world, addressing the demands of current homebuyers and sellers who are being affected by a new real estate wave into recession or depression. The mission remains to, “Change the way people buy and sell real estate around the world”, as it was declared more than 30 years ago.