Got a call.

Hmm.. Looks like this trick is expanding. I got two letters one typed and one handwritten and i am in Vancouver, Canada.

The phone numbers on teh letters were consecutive which was what initially made me suspicious.

The first letter was from Bonnie Whelan % Gabe Padva looking for me to call thier assistant pat. On calling they wanted my details so they coudl take me off the list.

The second was from Miguel Escudero. His assistant was taking messages form him as he wanted to buy a ouse in my area. Oh really.. Which area is that? She had no idea!

I'm curious as to how they get paid on this one though as tey cant be selling houses in eevry part of the country.. More likely they are looking to collect the fees and disappear..

RED FLAGS SHOULD ALWAYS GO UP WHEN SOMEONE MAILS YOU A LETTER TO REQUEST TO BUY A HOME IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, THE LETTER WAS NOT EVEN ON ANY LETTERHEAD, AND MY HOME IS NOT FOR SALE! SCAM!!!

Received the same unprofessional buy solicatation letter post marked 9 May 09 mailed from Oakland CA.The return address is 1484 Pollard Dr #422 Los Gatos CA 95032 stating contact Chris Barber...My home is in NC. As stated above by another home owner this too is a multi million dollar property.

I received the same letter but from Chris Payne with a 415 area code: 415-839-7350 (recorded message, no response yet).   - Dennis

Got a letter mentioning the same "Transferred Executive looking to buy a home"... from Chris Barber, 415-839-7350. Scam! How can we get him to stop? I left a msg asking for a call back.

We got the letter from CHRIS PAYNE
Los Gatos address and 415-839-7350
the "window of opportunity" is closing quickly!

We received the same letter with an address of Los Gatos from Chris Payne.  Sounds like an interesting scam.  I called their number twice and left messages.  No call back.

got the same letter .. phone number 310-734-6256 .. Chris Barber

415-839-7350
got the same letter. No intent to call. Live in Seattle/Tacoma area.
What I found interesting is that the incredibly childishly addressed envelope is addressed to my wife, listed #2 on the deed.  Wonder where the name came from. I believe that calling him back allows him to call you (for 5 years?) under the current unwanted calls rules.

Just received exactly the same type of highly unprofessional letter as pretty much all of you and I have a home in a gated community in Gig Harbor, WA. This is obviously a scam. How many professionals hand write the envelope (in a childish print, no less) using what looks like a child's return address label that include no business name and only the same address on Pollard in Los Gatos, CA. This one gets put in the round file!

4-14-09 I just received the same letter by Chis Payne. I am in Tacoma, Washington. I was intrigued and did an online search for the address in Los Gatos and came up with "Exquisite Homes an Estates," but if you go to that website, a different phone number and name is listed.
Thanks for your information.

4-12-09 received letter signed by Chris Payne.  phone 415-839-7350. same address as you have.  There are so many scams going on...we need to inform everyone possible to investegate and report everything they receive in the mail and question all callers.  Thank you for your indepth message.

April 12. 2009 received a letter.  Signed by Chris Payne phone number 415-839-7350. Title "transferred Ex. look to buy a home... what type of scam is this?

Just received an unprofessional letter in the mail titled "Transferred Executive looking to buy a home in your neighborhood..." from a Chris Payne. He states in the letter that he has noticed our home and would like to know if we are interested in selling it (which is somewhat comical because we live in a private gated community and under normal protocol you must know a resident to be allowed in).  The return address is 1484 Pollard, #422, Los Gatos, CA 95032. The letter requests we call 415.839.7350. Thank you for the Scam heads up...

415-839-7350 (number provided)

SCAM, SCAM, SCAM

website keeps changing names as well.

joyousendeavors.com/ehande/page5.html

Dot another letter from the same person, Chris Barber. This is about the 3rd letter we've received since last year.  Tried googling the address and it led me to this site. Thanks for all your input.

I got a similar letter February 13, 2009 sent to my Northern California home.  It had no letterhead but the title "Transferred Executive looking to buy a home in your neighborhood..."  The contact number was for Chris Barber's assistant at 714-948-5102 (Anaheim, CA).  Smells like a scam!

We also received a letter (twice), but a different phone number to call back (512-687-3264). 512 is an Austin area code, although we live in northern California. With a little research it was easy to find a web site based on the envelope's return address. 1484 Pollard Dr. #422, Los Gatos, CA 95032 is associated with http://www.ehande.net  The company name is "Exquisite Homes and Estates". And two names listed in an email address on their contact page are "Robert" and "Barbara". (So, who is this "Chris Barber" person?) They purport to sell high end homes quickly by (1) suggesting you sell at below market value and (2) if they (and it appears to be) "broker" the sale, they get a much larger commission than what is standard for a Realtor. On a quick pass it seems that they ask for a fee by bringing buyers and sellers together, but don't actually sell the home. The phone number on their web site is in San Diego, and the fax number is in Los Gatos. And all the other different phone numbers might be just part of a multi-level marketing scheme. Do other recipients have high equity in their home? This might be the common thread.

We just received the same amateurish letter.  Why would anyone spend the time an dmoney to send these out?  This definitely sounds like a scam.

I'm in FL, too. This is the second letter I've received from him. The first was several months ago. He did not reply to my call the first time and hasn't replied to my call two days ago about his second letter. I'll ask my real estate agent today if she can figure out his scam. Perhaps his scam is on the other end - meaning that by compiling addresses and responses to his letters that he persuades others (than the sellers)to pay him something?

Got the same amateurish letter today (1-5-09) from Chris Barber "we are a firm" but no firm name, only a phone number 347-468-7169.. obviously a scam of some sort.. We live is a gated community in North Tampa, Florida so it's most unlikely Mr. Barber "noticed your [our] home]..

I received the same letter as cjc yesterday - my question for all of you, is he targeting the same state and/or areas? I am in Florida.

Maybe I should feel lucky, or unlucky...
I just received my letter from Chris Barber.
If something is too good to be true.....

We received the same vague letter from Chris Barber wanting to find a house in our neighborhood for a transferred Executive.  Sounds as if it may be a scam based on prior information here.  Called the number and left my realtor's phone number. If they had seen our house, which they said they had, then they would have noticed the large For Sale sign in the front. The number to call was 347-468-7169.

I was wondering if you had heard anything new about this company?

Now he is using a new phone number:
3033172480.

Got one today from "Chris Barber".  I have a million dollar house and figure this is some scam.  What did you fing out?

347-468-7169 is a company with an address in Los Gatos, Ca.(1484 Pollard, Suite 422), which deals with real estate, though they are not real estate agents.  The phone number is from New York...very strange.  Information rec'd is from a Chris Barber on a piece of paper with no information other than the above phone number.