How do you acquire a /24 without getting burned?

[crowdo]

Hey all, running a small hosting outfit and we have finally run out of usable IPv4. Growth has been steady, so leasing keeps eating into margins and I would rather own the space at this point. Problem is I have never bought a block before and the whole thing looks like a minefield: brokers with no track record, blocks with abuse history, transfers that drag on for weeks. How do you acquire a /24 without getting burned? What should I check before wiring money to anyone, and is escrow standard practice here?

[crowdo]

Been on both sides of these deals, so a few pointers. First rule: never wire funds without escrow, anyone pushing you to skip it is a red flag. When we needed to buy IPv4 online we went with a platform that sources from real holders, handles the LOA and RIR transfer, and bakes escrow into the process. Sizes run from /24 up to /16 if you scale later. Before paying, check the block against the usual blacklists and confirm the seller actually holds it. Prices were not rock bottom, but for a clean /24 with the paperwork sorted I did not mind. Ask for the free consult first, they will tell you straight if buying even makes sense for your volume.