rei-buy-box

Real Estate & Business Buy Box Skill

Disclaimer: Investment strategy recommendations and market data are for informational purposes only. All investment decisions involve risk. Consult licensed financial and legal advisors before investing.

Overview

A buy box is an investor's personal filter — specific criteria an asset must meet to be worth pursuing. Having a defined buy box prevents analysis paralysis, communicates needs to wholesalers and brokers, and keeps investors focused.

Core philosophy (Pace Morby / Roland Frasier): Focus beats diversification. Guide users toward 1–2 strategies and 1–2 markets/industries maximum. Leverage "superpowers" (existing skills) to find unique deals like consulting for equity.

Workflow

Three phases, completed in order:

• Phase 1 — Interview & Market Research: Guide the investor through a conversational interview to define their buy box.
• Phase 2 — Brain Save: Save finalized buy box to cloud brain so all other skills can evaluate deals against it.
• Phase 3 — Infographic: Generate a professional, shareable buy box card (HTML file) using the Write tool.

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Pre-Flight — Check for Existing Buy Box

1. Use mcp__cloud-brain__search_notes with query buy box criteria
2. If found: Display ⚙️ banner. Confirm: "Found your saved buy box from [date]. Want to (1) update it, (2) start fresh, or (3) evaluate a deal against it?"
3. If not found: Proceed to Phase 1 interview.
4. If user provides a deal to evaluate: Jump directly to the Evaluator (end of this skill).

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Phase 1: The Buy Box Interview

Conduct conversationally — ask 1–2 questions at a time, wait for answers, then adapt. Never dump all questions at once.

Stage 1: Goals, Risk & Superpowers

1. The "Why": "What is your primary goal for investing? (e.g., monthly cash flow to replace W2, long-term wealth, quick capital generation, tax benefits, or leveraging a specific skill)"
2. Asset Preference: "Are you primarily interested in traditional real estate (houses, apartments), commercial assets (mobile home parks, storage), or operating businesses (car washes, home services, consulting for equity)?"
3. The "Superpower": "What is your unique superpower? (e.g., AI implementation, digital marketing, managing contractors, operational systems)"
4. Involvement Level: "How hands-on do you want to be — passive investment, active management, or somewhere between?"
5. Capital Access: "Do you have cash to deploy, or are you focused on creative finance (Subject-To, Seller Finance) because capital is limited?"

Stage 2: Strategy Matching

Based on Stage 1, recommend 1–2 strategies:

If the investor says...	Recommend
High tech/AI skills, low capital	Consulting for Equity (Sweat Equity)
Wants recurring revenue, low labor	Car Washes or Self-Storage
High income, wants tax shelter	Short-Term Rentals (STR)
Wants passive, steady cash flow	Long-Term Rentals (SFR or Multifamily)
Wants to scale fast, affordable housing	Mobile Home Parks or RV Parks
Wants max cash flow on one property	Co-Living
Wants quick capital, active	House Flipping or Wholesaling
Truly passive (be the bank)	Mortgage Notes
Limited capital/credit	Sub2 / Seller Finance on ANY strategy

Strategy profiles:

Strategy	Ideal Investor	Typical Criteria	Typical Returns
Long-Term Rental (SFR/MF)	Passive, wealth builder	1% rule or better, positive CF, landlord-friendly state	6–12% CoC
Short-Term Rental (STR)	Active, hospitality-minded	Tourist/business market, STR-legal zone, furnished	15–25% CoC
House Flipping	Active, contractors, capital available	70% rule (MAO = ARV × 70% − rehab), 3–6 month project	15–30% ROI per deal
BRRRR	Patient, systems-oriented	Below-market purchase, rehab potential, strong rental market	Goal: infinite return
Mobile Home Parks	Patient, management-focused	25+ pads, tenant-owned homes, under $30K/pad	8–12% cap rate
RV Parks	Hospitality, land-focused	Highway access, hookups, growing Sun Belt / Mountain West	10–15% cap rate
Self-Storage	Passive, minimal management	300+ units, climate control, suburban or rural	8–12% cap rate
Wholesaling	Active, networker, deal finder	25–40% discount to ARV, motivated seller, quick close	$5K–$30K/assignment
Mortgage Notes	Truly passive, analytical	1st lien position, 65–75% LTV, performing or non-performing	10–15% yield
Consulting for Equity	High-skill operator (AI, ops, marketing)	Business with $1M–$5M revenue lacking systems	10–25% equity stake
Car Wash / Laundromat	Systems-oriented, passive	Automated, high-traffic location, EBITDA multiple ≤4x	20–30% CoC

Anti-Sprawl Guardrail: If the user wants to do everything, intervene: "That's a great long-term vision. However, the most successful investors recommend mastering just 1–2 strategies first. A buy box that includes everything makes it impossible for wholesalers to know what to send you. Which ONE is your absolute top priority right now?"

Stage 3: Live Market Research (Optional)

Once 1–2 strategies selected, offer: "Before we lock in your criteria, would you like me to run a live market analysis on which cities/states are currently performing best for [Strategy]?"

If yes: Use WebSearch to research:

• "best markets for [strategy] real estate 2025 2026"
• "[strategy] market data [state] [year]"
• "landlord friendly states [year]" (for LTR)
• "STR regulations [city]" (for STR)

Present top 3–5 markets with supporting data. Ask investor to pick 1–2 to use in their buy box.

Stage 4: Core Criteria Definition

For Real Estate / Commercial:

1. Geography: Where? (If "Nationwide" or 10+ states: "Operating nationwide is very difficult without boots on the ground. Let's narrow to 1–3 specific markets where you can actually execute.")
2. Property Type & Size: What type? Minimum beds/baths or unit count?
3. Financial Targets: Purchase price range? Minimum cash flow per door? Target cap rate?
4. Condition Tolerance: Turnkey / light cosmetic / medium rehab / heavy distressed?
5. Acquisition Methods: Sub2, Seller Finance, Cash, Conventional, DSCR?
6. Partnership Openness: Open to JVs? What do you bring / what do you need?

For Business Acquisitions / Consulting for Equity:

1. Industry/Niche: What industries? (Home services, SaaS, local retail)
2. Business Size: Target revenue or EBITDA range?
3. The "Wedge": What specific problem do you solve for the owner?
4. Deal Structure: Buy 100% via seller finance, or minority equity stake for services?

Universal:

• Deal Breakers: Anything that immediately disqualifies a deal? (flood zones, foundation issues, rent control, etc.)

Stage 5: Synthesis — The Two Lists

Synthesize into two focused lists. Less is more — 3–4 sharp, specific items are better than 5 generic ones. Never pad with filler.

List 1: What I'm Looking For — Specific criteria for an ideal deal. Format: Bold Topic: specific detail Example: Multifamily 20+ units: 8%+ cap rate, landlord-friendly state, Sub2 or Seller Finance

List 2: What I Bring to the Table — Compelling value propositions for a seller or partner. Format: Bold Topic: specific detail Example: Creative finance expertise: Subject-To, Seller Finance, JV structuring

Present the lists and ask the investor to confirm or adjust before saving.

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Phase 2: Save to Cloud Brain

Once the investor confirms, save to cloud brain:

Path: brain/preferences/rei-buy-box.md
Tool: mcp__cloud-brain__write_note

Content to save:

• Investor name and contact info
• Strategies (1–2)
• Target markets (1–3)
• Property type / business type
• Price range
• Financial targets (min cash flow, min CoC, min cap rate)
• Condition tolerance
• Acquisition method preferences
• Partnership openness
• Deal breakers
• "Looking for" list (from Stage 5)
• "Bring to the table" list (from Stage 5)
• Date saved

Tell the user: "Your Buy Box is saved. Now when you find a deal, just say 'Does this fit my buy box?' and I'll score it against your saved criteria."

Also save to the investor's main preferences file to make it available to other toolbox skills:

Path: brain/preferences/rei-preferences.md
Tool: mcp__cloud-brain__write_note (merge with existing if found)

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Phase 3: Buy Box Infographic

Generate a professional, shareable buy box card as an HTML file.

Step 1: Collect Branding Information (if not already in preferences)

Ask:

• Name and company name
• Tagline or short mission statement
• Phone, email, social handle, website
• Color preference: Navy/Teal (default), Charcoal/Gold (classic), or custom hex codes

Step 2: Generate HTML Infographic

Use the Write tool to create an HTML file at brain/buy-box-infographic-[slug]-[date].html.

The HTML should render a 1080×1080px infographic (suitable for screenshots / social sharing) with:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<style>
  * { margin: 0; padding: 0; box-sizing: border-box; }
  body { width: 1080px; height: 1080px; font-family: 'Georgia', serif; background: [header_bg_color]; }
  .header { background: [header_bg_color]; color: white; padding: 40px 50px 30px; }
  .investor-name { font-size: 36px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 2px; }
  .company { font-size: 20px; color: [accent_color]; margin-top: 4px; }
  .tagline { font-size: 16px; color: rgba(255,255,255,0.7); margin-top: 10px; font-style: italic; }
  .divider { height: 4px; background: [accent_color]; margin: 0; }
  .body { background: #FAFAFA; padding: 30px 50px; }
  .section-title { font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 3px; text-transform: uppercase;
    color: [header_bg_color]; margin-bottom: 16px; padding-bottom: 8px;
    border-bottom: 2px solid [accent_color]; }
  .criteria-item { padding: 10px 0; border-bottom: 1px solid #E8E8E8; font-size: 15px; color: #333; line-height: 1.5; }
  .criteria-item strong { color: [header_bg_color]; }
  .two-col { display: grid; grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr; gap: 30px; margin-top: 24px; }
  .footer { background: [header_bg_color]; color: white; padding: 20px 50px;
    display: flex; justify-content: space-between; align-items: center; margin-top: auto; }
  .contact-item { font-size: 13px; color: rgba(255,255,255,0.8); }
  .accent { color: [accent_color]; }
</style>
</head>
<body>
  <div class="header">
    <div class="investor-name">[INVESTOR NAME]</div>
    <div class="company">[COMPANY NAME]</div>
    <div class="tagline">[TAGLINE]</div>
  </div>
  <div class="divider"></div>
  <div class="body">
    <div class="two-col">
      <div>
        <div class="section-title">What I'm Looking For</div>
        [LOOKING_FOR items as .criteria-item divs with <strong>Topic</strong>: detail format]
      </div>
      <div>
        <div class="section-title">What I Bring to the Table</div>
        [BRING_TO_TABLE items as .criteria-item divs]
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="footer">
    <span class="contact-item">[PHONE]</span>
    <span class="contact-item accent">[WEBSITE]</span>
    <span class="contact-item">[SOCIAL HANDLE]</span>
    <span class="contact-item">[EMAIL]</span>
  </div>
</body>
</html>

Populate every placeholder with the investor's actual data from Phase 1 and the branding info collected. Render the "Looking For" and "Bring to Table" lists as proper HTML items.

Tell the user: "Your Buy Box card has been generated. Open the HTML file in any browser and take a screenshot to get a shareable image for Instagram, LinkedIn, or Facebook groups. Suggest posting in local REIA Facebook groups and Sub2 Communities."

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Deal Evaluator (On-Demand)

When the user provides a deal and asks "does this fit my buy box?":

1. Load buy box from mcp__cloud-brain__search_notes with query buy box criteria
2. Score the deal across all saved criteria:

Criteria	Investor's Target	Deal's Value	Match?
Geography	[Saved markets]	[Deal location]	🟢/🟡/🔴
Property type	[Saved type]	[Deal type]	🟢/🟡/🔴
Price range	$[Min]–$[Max]	$[Deal price]	🟢/🟡/🔴
Cash flow	$[Min]/door	$[Deal CF]	🟢/🟡/🔴
Cap rate	[Min]%	[Deal cap rate]%	🟢/🟡/🔴
Condition	[Saved pref]	[Deal condition]	🟢/🟡/🔴
Deal breakers	[List]	None / [Flag]	✅ / 🚨

3. Output: Overall match score (0–100), verdict (Strong Fit / Partial Fit / Not a Fit), and 2–3 sentences on why.

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Error Handling

• User wants to do everything: Apply the anti-sprawl guardrail firmly but kindly.
• No geography specified: Ask before proceeding — drives all market research.
• WebSearch unavailable: Skip market research phase; proceed with user-provided knowledge.
• No buy box in brain when evaluating: Ask if they want to define one first or provide criteria ad hoc.
• User wants infographic as PDF or PNG: Explain the HTML file can be screenshot in any browser to produce a PNG; offer to note this is the export format.