Why Three Free Analyses Die on a List
You paste three free addresses and still write no contract. Ask vs MAO kills most list files. Call under-MAO, walk the rest.
Free ARV looks are not offers. In Milwaukee, median ask sits about $41k over MAO. In Atlanta, about $43k. Most of those three files die before you ever pick up the phone, because you never ran ask vs MAO, never sorted the under-MAO files, and never walked away from the rest.
What "three free analyses" usually means
A seller or bird dog drops a list. You paste three addresses. You get ARV, comps, maybe rent. You screenshot the pretty ones. You tell yourself you are working the market.
You are not. You are collecting screenshots.
A free analysis that never hits ask vs MAO is research theater. It burns your free looks and leaves the list untouched. The seller still has the same ask. Your buyer still has the same ceiling. Nothing moved.
DealBeast already shows the board. Milwaukee: median ask $142,400 against median MAO $101,446. Atlanta: median ask $199,970 against median MAO $156,485. Those gaps are the story. ARV alone is not.
Ask vs MAO kills two of them
Run the same three files through ask vs MAO. On a typical Milwaukee or Atlanta list, two of the three sit well over MAO.
That is the kill. Not "bad comps." Not "I need more free looks." The list is already priced for a buyer who cannot write that check under the MAO formula.
Under-MAO rates on the live boards sit around 18% in Milwaukee and about 23% in Atlanta. Put three random list files in a row and the math says you will often get one maybe and two passes. If you treat all three like winners because ARV looks fat, you stall.
The one file you should call
Call the file where ask already sits under MAO, or close enough that a real cut gets you there.
That is the only free analysis that earns a call today. Paste it again if you need to. Confirm ARV, rehab, and MAO on one screen with the MAO calculator. Then call. Offer from MAO, leave room for your fee, and stop shopping for a prettier ARV on the other two.
City boards if you want the full split: Milwaukee wholesale 2026 and Atlanta wholesale 2026.
What to do with the other two
Do not "stay in touch" for a month on a $41k or $43k hole. That is how three free analyses die on a list.
On the over-MAO files, pick one move:
- Ask for a real price cut that lands near MAO. Not $5k under ask. Near MAO.
- Walk. When to walk away starts with this gap.
- Only then, if you have a different buyer who does not need 70%, reprice the pitch. Do not mix a flipper ceiling with a landlord story on the same file.
FAQ
Why do free ARV looks fail to produce contracts?
Because ARV is not the offer. Ask vs MAO is. Milwaukee median ask $142,400 vs MAO $101,446 leaves about $41k on the table. Atlanta $199,970 vs $156,485 leaves about $43k. If you never sort for under-MAO files, you never call a file your buyer can buy.
How many of my free analyses should I expect to call?
On boards like Milwaukee (~18% under MAO) and Atlanta (~23% under MAO), most random list pulls will not clear. Expect one call and two walks on a typical three-pack unless the seller already priced near MAO.
Should I use my free analyses on every address on the list?
No. Burn free looks on files you will actually work. Run ask vs MAO, keep the under-MAO file, and pass the rest before you waste another analysis.
What is the fastest way to stop dying on a list?
Paste the address. Read ask, MAO, and the hole on one screen. Call under-MAO. Walk the rest. Start free at dealbeast.co, upgrade when you are closing deals.
What is the difference between ARV and MAO on a seller list?
ARV is resale after repairs. MAO is the most a 70% buyer can pay after ARV and repairs. A list can sit under ARV and still sit over MAO. Sort by ask vs MAO, not by pretty ARV. ask vs MAO.