An Investor Killed!!!!!!!!
Investor · Fort Washington, MD · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
An Investor Killed!!!!!!!!
Most Popular Reply
Bruce WoodruffPro Member
Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votesQuote from @Account Closed:
So the people that invest in the neighborhoods need to invest in the community and that should be a mandatory requirement
How about the community gives enough of a crap about itself to invest in itself? Naw, that would make way too much sense....
Well, just have the Govt take over all the property in the inner city and run it, that'll fix things! Oh, wait....they already have and that's even worse.
Nothing will change until people - regardless of color - get a f'ing clue and take responsibility for themselves, their actions and thoughts, their families and their neighbors (communities).
Stop blaming skin color, lack of money, investors, Govt, and anybody and everybody else. This is about personal responsibility and nothing else...
92 Replies
- Realtor · Boulder, CO · Member since 2016 · 3k+ posts · 5k+ votes3y
Quote from @Jay Hinrichs:
Quote from @Steve K.:
We sold all of our Class D properties last year and I may not even renew my concealed carry permit when it expires, I just don’t need it anymore. Feels good and I’m sticking to Class A’s and B’s here on out. We had 3 kidnappings, a stabbing, and 2 deaths in those units over the past few years. Returns were great on paper, but it turns out the Class A and B properties are better in reality, at least within my portfolio and personal experience. Gotta start somewhere though!Quote from @Mark Cruse:
I recently decided to sell off portions of my portfolio but I've been in the class d arena my entire time in the business. There was a young investor killed in Baltimore not long ago and it still bothers me. Yea, people die daily in major cities but this one really hit home. He was simply renovating a property and was shot dead outside of it. Man, I can write a book on my in the hood stories and had my share of chaos but I was able to always mitigate stuff. However, this could have been anyone. I just sold my south Baltimore properties and that was the same area which had 28 shot a few weeks back. How frequent is it for investors to face violence? I dont hear about much but it could just be the circle I'm in. What are your horror stories?
Was that D class in Denver .. just curious the general location of the properties you sold.Yes, well Lakewood technically, on West Colfax. The "West 40 Arts District" near Casa Bonita. It's transitioning quickly for sure, but still kind of rough. Nothing like Baltimore though, not even close I'm sure. I'm from the east coast originally and even the worst neighborhoods in Denver aren't nearly as rough as they get back east. These units would probably be considered Class B in Baltimore lol, but Class D for us here.
- Rental Property Investor · South Amboy, NJ · Member since 2014 · 34 posts · 23 votes3y
@Maria Fortner
I grew up in poverty like I’m sure many investors did. I didn’t expect anyone else to be responsible for me. We all make choices. Ive been working since I’m 14 and now I work two jobs and many hours to save money to invest. I absolutely don’t believe in reparations.
- Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes3y
Quote from @Bruce Woodruff:
Quote from @Account Closed:
@Bruce Woodruff Blaming and truth is two different things. Again WHY are people in poverty? Is it because they don’t care about themselves or is it because they have been trained by a system that made them depend on the system, stole their freedom and lied to them for years. Sure they should care about a community they don’t own and have no equity in. The people investing in the neighborhoods have the resources.
We can agree that the Govt Welfare system has been the chief cause of keeping people in this 'bondage' you refer to. But we disagree on the rest. When you live in a neighborhood for years, walk the streets, make friends, shop the local stores, etc...you do in fact have an investment. You can ignore that as most do, or you can invest in it and bring that neighborhood to a better place.
Once again it is solely about personal responsibility and choice. No more, no less.
You can just about forget about that. No one wants to take responsibility for anything these days. Everyone's a victim of something. The left's a victim of the right. The right's a victim of the woke. The woke are victims of everything. The rich are victims of the government. The poor are victims of circumstance and greedy landlords. This country is becoming a nation of crybabies and frankly I just about can't even listen to any of them any more. I don't particularly care who you are - if you don't like your situation there's almost a guaranteed way of changing it, especially in the US. Everybody cries about immigrants but half the time they're the only ones who will work, and they will share a house with 10 people and one car until they've saved enough money to buy a restaurant or some rental properties and then people are griping about foreigners owning everything.
People need to own their situation. If you're rich and you don't like the tax rates, don't ***** - move, or run for office to change them. If you're poor and you don't like living in a ghetto, go get an education or work 2 jobs and save that extra money to get out. Bud Crawford beat the pants off Errol Spence yesterday, a fight that was never going to be made because they worked under rival promoters. Did Crawford cry about how PBC was denying him his chances? Nope, he went so far as to quit his own promoter so that he could make an independent deal with PBC and Spence. Now he holds all the belts and will be richer than he would have ever imagined before hand.
Skyline Properties - 3yBruce WoodruffPro MemberContractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
Quote from @JD Martin:
Quote from @Bruce Woodruff:
Quote from @Account Closed:
@Bruce Woodruff Blaming and truth is two different things. Again WHY are people in poverty? Is it because they don’t care about themselves or is it because they have been trained by a system that made them depend on the system, stole their freedom and lied to them for years. Sure they should care about a community they don’t own and have no equity in. The people investing in the neighborhoods have the resources.
We can agree that the Govt Welfare system has been the chief cause of keeping people in this 'bondage' you refer to. But we disagree on the rest. When you live in a neighborhood for years, walk the streets, make friends, shop the local stores, etc...you do in fact have an investment. You can ignore that as most do, or you can invest in it and bring that neighborhood to a better place.
Once again it is solely about personal responsibility and choice. No more, no less.
You can just about forget about that. No one wants to take responsibility for anything these days. Everyone's a victim of something. The left's a victim of the right. The right's a victim of the woke. The woke are victims of everything. The rich are victims of the government. The poor are victims of circumstance and greedy landlords. This country is becoming a nation of crybabies and frankly I just about can't even listen to any of them any more. I don't particularly care who you are - if you don't like your situation there's almost a guaranteed way of changing it, especially in the US. Everybody cries about immigrants but half the time they're the only ones who will work, and they will share a house with 10 people and one car until they've saved enough money to buy a restaurant or some rental properties and then people are griping about foreigners owning everything.
People need to own their situation. If you're rich and you don't like the tax rates, don't ***** - move, or run for office to change them. If you're poor and you don't like living in a ghetto, go get an education or work 2 jobs and save that extra money to get out.
Best post ever. Maybe anywhere on the internet. Everyone in the f'ing world needs to read this. Thank you for posting. I owe you a really good scotch someday.
- Rental Property Investor · Corona, CA · Member since 2015 · 16 posts · 7 votes3y
@Jay Hinrichs. Speaking as an Australian who spent the first 30 years of my life living there, most Australian’s don’t have to worry about people having guns. Unlike here, they don’t have a gun problem there, so the thought of someone being so cowardly as to deal with conflict with a gun probably wouldn’t have crossed his innocent mind.
- Investor · Fort Washington, MD · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes3y
Wow, so many incredible stories here. My damn, I thought I had some horror stories. Was it satire or was an investor really killed by a bear? Either way, it's amazing to see the varying levels of experiences people have. There is a topic out there where an investor is so stressed and horrified of his community because of one abandoned car and puddle of water. Again, varying levels of experiences are amazing. I just love all the insight on the topic of poverty. Every post was valid and factual for the most part. Very educational as well. The only things I want to slightly push back on is the poverty and crime to come from primarily poor Black communities. Most of my tenants have been poor whites (Curtis Bay Baltimore) and I tell you its a poverty thing. Ive had bikers, racists and aryan nation types Ive dealt with many of them white boy are selling dope on corners and tearing up the community like any other poor community. Another thing I can differ with is a generalized perspective of putting them all in one box, holding most or all responsible for the conditions of the community. Yes there is a thing called personal responsibility but it's other layers present as well. There are multiple systemic problems and experiences some of these people have been exposed to since birth that has dramatic impacts on thinking and reasoning. Its easier to say what your mentality would be if you have never been exposed to some of that since the day you were born. Most of the people in these communities are decent, hardworking and upstanding. It tends to be a very small minority of people there destroying it for everyone. Its complicated but so many of you have hit all the marks here. I'm hoping that some of these newbies who think this is some easy get rich quick gig come here and read the real world experiences illustrated here.
- 3yCorby GoadeBusiness MemberInvestor · Boise, ID · Member since 2014 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
That's terrible. Our rule of thumb is that we don't buy properties that we would not have lived in at some point in our lives. There's a reason why D properties cash flow better than B properties- significantly higher risk and definitely not passive.
- Investor · Fort Washington, MD · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes3y
Quote from @Jim K.:
I've seen my share, but I think far too much of that is from arrogant and angry landlords trying to impose their wills. I've literally heard a landlord loudly tell her late tenant to his face in front of his house that she was tired of dealing with, er, female-dog-back-end losers like him. You don't go around saying things like that to people who have nothing but their pride left, especially when you own the roof over their heads.
When I first joined here I was not far off from being a newbie. I was hungry and met up with a landlord from Baltimore who was a regular contributor. He took me around to his properties and treated his tenants like dirt. Very pushy, rude and condescending. He even used to spew things on here about putting animal cages in his units to keep them in line. Another guy I've seen here trying to sell stuff I saw out on FB spewing racist and insulting perspectives he was directly repeating from cable news pundits. I must say if a person is a natural azz or an open bigot with zero respect for the community, there is no way for them to be successful at this.
- Real Estate Broker · Chicago, IL · Member since 2014 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes3y
Quote from @Mark Cruse:
I recently decided to sell off portions of my portfolio but I've been in the class d arena my entire time in the business. There was a young investor killed in Baltimore not long ago and it still bothers me. Yea, people die daily in major cities but this one really hit home. He was simply renovating a property and was shot dead outside of it. Man, I can write a book on my in the hood stories and had my share of chaos but I was able to always mitigate stuff. However, this could have been anyone. I just sold my south Baltimore properties and that was the same area which had 28 shot a few weeks back. How frequent is it for investors to face violence? I dont hear about much but it could just be the circle I'm in. What are your horror stories?
I was hesitant to jump into this thread but.... One horror story in 20+ years- I was standing inside a property in a Class D area with one of my contractors after completing a renovation & bullets whizzed by our heads from a drive-by shooting. That incident put the kind of scare in me that my partner & I almost quit. We didn't quit because many of the so-called Class A & B areas that we know today were Class C& D years ago. This includes many areas on Chicago's Northside, West Loop,.... Brooklyn New York, Harlem...... It's amazing how many stories I hear from people who say- "I wish I would have invested there". But now they can't afford it. Those areas changed because of investors and the path to progress.
So strategy wise we will still invest in Class D areas if our analysis supports that the area is prime to gentrify. - 3yJay HinrichsBusiness MemberReal Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
Quote from @Vaughan Moody:
@Jay Hinrichs. Speaking as an Australian who spent the first 30 years of my life living there, most Australian’s don’t have to worry about people having guns. Unlike here, they don’t have a gun problem there, so the thought of someone being so cowardly as to deal with conflict with a gun probably wouldn’t have crossed his innocent mind.
before BP i used to post on the Aussie site ( their version of BP) there was a ton of interest in US properties and folks would get on there to discuss them.. It was amazing the amount of Aussies that hooked up with very shady operators in the US and sold the aussies some really terrible properties there was a lot of money lost in those days.. of course not all Aussie investors got screwed but a good number of them went right into the cheapest roughest neighborhoods in America with no clue as to how hard they would be to manage.. And it was all about chasing yield on paper. And the fear of negative Gearing etc etc.. Many were borrowing against their super funds and paying cash . I did quite a bit of financing for them as well in areas that we hand picked for them. I have also funded quite a few deals over the years were the sellers were aussie super funds and the sellers were getting pennies on the dollar because they found managing the homes was a constant loser and they just walked away and took what they could get..
I learned in Australia real estate is not like in the US its not on public data bases so the investor had a hard time figuring this out and just trusted the marketing companies of which as stated some were just out and out crooks. - Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes3y
Quote from @Bruce Woodruff:
Quote from @JD Martin:
Quote from @Bruce Woodruff:
Quote from @Account Closed:
@Bruce Woodruff Blaming and truth is two different things. Again WHY are people in poverty? Is it because they don’t care about themselves or is it because they have been trained by a system that made them depend on the system, stole their freedom and lied to them for years. Sure they should care about a community they don’t own and have no equity in. The people investing in the neighborhoods have the resources.
We can agree that the Govt Welfare system has been the chief cause of keeping people in this 'bondage' you refer to. But we disagree on the rest. When you live in a neighborhood for years, walk the streets, make friends, shop the local stores, etc...you do in fact have an investment. You can ignore that as most do, or you can invest in it and bring that neighborhood to a better place.
Once again it is solely about personal responsibility and choice. No more, no less.
You can just about forget about that. No one wants to take responsibility for anything these days. Everyone's a victim of something. The left's a victim of the right. The right's a victim of the woke. The woke are victims of everything. The rich are victims of the government. The poor are victims of circumstance and greedy landlords. This country is becoming a nation of crybabies and frankly I just about can't even listen to any of them any more. I don't particularly care who you are - if you don't like your situation there's almost a guaranteed way of changing it, especially in the US. Everybody cries about immigrants but half the time they're the only ones who will work, and they will share a house with 10 people and one car until they've saved enough money to buy a restaurant or some rental properties and then people are griping about foreigners owning everything.
People need to own their situation. If you're rich and you don't like the tax rates, don't ***** - move, or run for office to change them. If you're poor and you don't like living in a ghetto, go get an education or work 2 jobs and save that extra money to get out.
Best post ever. Maybe anywhere on the internet. Everyone in the f'ing world needs to read this. Thank you for posting. I owe you a really good scotch someday.
We'll make it happen next time I make it to Arizona :)
Skyline Properties - Austin, TX · Member since 2019 · 5k+ posts · 5k+ votes3y
There seems to be no money to be made solving this problem, and a lot of money to be made, by a lot of people just letting it go on as "business as usual"--meaning that's probably at the center of why this problem continues--or maybe it is unsolvable, and that is just how it will always be, no matter what.
Just my 2 cents.
- Investor · Fort Washington, MD · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes3y
Quote from @Crystal Smith:
Quote from @Mark Cruse:
I recently decided to sell off portions of my portfolio but I've been in the class d arena my entire time in the business. There was a young investor killed in Baltimore not long ago and it still bothers me. Yea, people die daily in major cities but this one really hit home. He was simply renovating a property and was shot dead outside of it. Man, I can write a book on my in the hood stories and had my share of chaos but I was able to always mitigate stuff. However, this could have been anyone. I just sold my south Baltimore properties and that was the same area which had 28 shot a few weeks back. How frequent is it for investors to face violence? I dont hear about much but it could just be the circle I'm in. What are your horror stories?
I was hesitant to jump into this thread but.... One horror story in 20+ years- I was standing inside a property in a Class D area with one of my contractors after completing a renovation & bullets whizzed by our heads from a drive-by shooting. That incident put the kind of scare in me that my partner & I almost quit. We didn't quit because many of the so-called Class A & B areas that we know today were Class C& D years ago. This includes many areas on Chicago's Northside, West Loop,.... Brooklyn New York, Harlem...... It's amazing how many stories I hear from people who say- "I wish I would have invested there". But now they can't afford it. Those areas changed because of investors and the path to progress.
So strategy wise we will still invest in Class D areas if our analysis supports that the area is prime to gentrify.I purchased a small apartment building in downtown Hagerstown for about 130k 5 years ago. Appreciation has went up for sure. However, this place is opposite of most. The downtown is ghetto but the suburbs are cool. Its a lot of crime but small town stuff. If that ever gentrifies and the downtown turns into what most are, I will be sitting very pretty. Its neighboring town is called Fredrick. If Hagerstown just went to something like that, my equity would way more than triple.
- Real Estate Agent · Auburn Hills, MI · Member since 2022 · 45 posts · 67 votes3y
@Lynn Berg Hi Lynn, reparations is another conversation. This country has purposely misled us ALL. It’s a system and it works to the advantage of some at the detriment of others. This is the society that we live in. NOW we know but unfortunately growing up most of us didn’t know. Growing up in this country you have no choice but to be in poverty, this can be spiritually, physically and financially. Sure reparations won’t solve the problem for a group of people that don’t understand economics to begin with. But reparations is a debt that is owed, diversity and inclusion is a band-aid over a wound to make people feel better about the horrible truths.
Quote from @Lynn Berg:
@Maria Fortner
I grew up in poverty like I’m sure many investors did. I didn’t expect anyone else to be responsible for me. We all make choices. Ive been working since I’m 14 and now I work two jobs and many hours to save money to invest. I absolutely don’t believe in reparations.
- 3yBruce WoodruffPro MemberContractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
Quote from @Mark Cruse:
Wow, so many incredible stories here. My damn, I thought I had some horror stories. Was it satire or was an investor really killed by a bear?
Sadly, it was a true story....rough way to go. Just sipping coffee and enjoying the morning... https://www.dcourier.com/news/...
- Real Estate Agent · Hagerstown, MD · Member since 2019 · 160 posts · 121 votes3y
Quote from @Mark Cruse:
Quote from @Crystal Smith:
Quote from @Mark Cruse:
I recently decided to sell off portions of my portfolio but I've been in the class d arena my entire time in the business. There was a young investor killed in Baltimore not long ago and it still bothers me. Yea, people die daily in major cities but this one really hit home. He was simply renovating a property and was shot dead outside of it. Man, I can write a book on my in the hood stories and had my share of chaos but I was able to always mitigate stuff. However, this could have been anyone. I just sold my south Baltimore properties and that was the same area which had 28 shot a few weeks back. How frequent is it for investors to face violence? I dont hear about much but it could just be the circle I'm in. What are your horror stories?
I was hesitant to jump into this thread but.... One horror story in 20+ years- I was standing inside a property in a Class D area with one of my contractors after completing a renovation & bullets whizzed by our heads from a drive-by shooting. That incident put the kind of scare in me that my partner & I almost quit. We didn't quit because many of the so-called Class A & B areas that we know today were Class C& D years ago. This includes many areas on Chicago's Northside, West Loop,.... Brooklyn New York, Harlem...... It's amazing how many stories I hear from people who say- "I wish I would have invested there". But now they can't afford it. Those areas changed because of investors and the path to progress.
So strategy wise we will still invest in Class D areas if our analysis supports that the area is prime to gentrify.I purchased a small apartment building in downtown Hagerstown for about 130k 5 years ago. Appreciation has went up for sure. However, this place is opposite of most. The downtown is ghetto but the suburbs are cool. Its a lot of crime but small town stuff. If that ever gentrifies and the downtown turns into what most are, I will be sitting very pretty. Its neighboring town is called Fredrick. If Hagerstown just went to something like that, my equity would way more than triple.
It's on it's way in my opinion! I live in and invest in Hagerstown. Downtown has come a long way in the past year as far as businesses moving in and home prices (and equity as a result) is holding steady. I'm closing on our 3rd property there this Friday (just outside of city limits).
- Real Estate Agent · Nashville, TN · Member since 2015 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes3y
This can happen to anyone at any time.
I do a lot of new construction and construction sites have all sorts of issues when they are framed up.
Squatters are a big issue when a house is framed up. Not to mention materials being stolen all the time.
A friend of mine set up cameras during a build and the things that camera captured....some of it I can't unsee. A lot of drug deals and people using the property for activities I can't mention on the forums.
You just have to be careful and be as vigilant as possible. Especially when dealing with people that are disgruntled. (evictions, etc). Always remember that you're not a police officer and you shouldn't do their work. I call police when I see squatters - I don't confront them myself.
I don't invest in areas where I don't feel comfortable. I won't go to a D location I don't care how good the numbers are. I personally don't want to deal with investing there.
Stay safe out there.
- 3yBruce WoodruffPro MemberContractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
Quote from @Luka Milicevic:
I do a lot of new construction and construction sites have all sorts of issues when they are framed up.
Squatters are a big issue when a house is framed up. Not to mention materials being stolen all the time.
It certainly can be dangerous. Even when I did my construction in California, (where carrying a weapon is virtually illegal) still most Contractors and workers were armed (truck guns). Here in Arizona where you can carry anywhere/anytime, you better believe Construction guys are armed. Still a good idea to call the cops first - if you can and if there is time of course....
- Real Estate Broker · Minneapolis, MN · Member since 2011 · 5k+ posts · 6k+ votes3y
Quote from @Account Closed:
@Bruce Woodruff Blaming and truth is two different things. Again WHY are people in poverty? Is it because they don’t care about themselves or is it because they have been trained by a system that made them depend on the system, stole their freedom and lied to them for years. Sure they should care about a community they don’t own and have no equity in. The people investing in the neighborhoods have the resources.
Maria, why does money exist? Yes, a means to exchange goods and services, I get that BUT why does the very item of a currency, OF money itself exist? This is VERY important because your entire foundation of belief is wrong.
Money exists because humans require BRIBERY to act.
That is the truth and fact of it. Humans are NOT altruistic.
We produce enough food in the world to feed every human 3 times over, so why do some starve? We have the capacity to build a shelter for every human on earth in the next 12 months, but we don't. Unknown people kill other unknown people to help advance the victory of some other unknown persons wants and wills and it's ok because we call it war.
Humans are NOT altruistic. We are petty, lazy, selfish, self-serving, manipulative, destructive little hairless ape's who require EXPANSIVE systems of control to FORCE us to act civil, to participate in act's of social construct.
Your premise Maria, is flawed, because the foundation is flawed, by a notion that all people want to be good, do good, give freely. Fact and reality is the total opposite and it's been proven time and time again. WELFARE is the US is a prime example. As more and more is given more and more persons DISENGAGED vs engaged. Persons take the hand-out and DO LESS. That is the facts and reality.
And color has ZERO to do with it, but CULTURE has EVERYTHING to do with it. My culture was of such that the humiliation is too great a pain to endure to take such. I had many asian immigrant friends growing up who experienced very similar cultures. We did not have the option to sit on our duff and just enjoy existing, we would suffer berating daily for such. It was not the government nor any politics who drove us, it was our culture, our expectations of self, what our culture would and would not accept.
Why does poverty exist? Because a person has accepted poverty as an acceptable condition of existing FULL-STOP.
Poverty is a CHOICE for 99.8% of persons. And that Maria IS FREEDOM!
Freedom is by it's very definition the opportunity to have however much good OR BAD a person will strive for. A system that removes a persons opportunity of poor choices is NOT FREEDOM.
If you want freedom, there will be sinners, it will not be an existence of only saints, because persons are free to choose either.
Fact is today most in poverty live BETTER than any member of Royalty lived 300yrs ago. A "poverty" persons lives BETTER than a King or Queen had lived, think on that for a moment.
The problem is peoples CULTURE, there CHOICES, there accountability of self, family, community.
We could house every human on earth, feed every human on earth, eliminate half the diseases on earth but, we won't, because PEOPLE choose to live by the metric of "me and you", and not "WE". It is why they define separators of persons at every chance; color, locality, education, etc etc..
It is not society's fault, responsibility or accountability for how one engages or does not engage in their own life. Society is not a thing of itself, it's a MIRROR. Society is a REFLECTION of the peoples choices, a mirror does not make one move in any 1 way or the other, does it.
Poverty will not end until people DECIDE to hold themselves to a higher standard, when they choose a culture, a self-accountability that is different. Opportunity has been given on a level and degree beyond any in human history and yet still, persons CHOOSE to not walk the "better" path.
Your argument is with human nature.
- Real Estate Broker · Minneapolis, MN · Member since 2011 · 5k+ posts · 6k+ votes3y
Quote from @Bruce Woodruff:
Quote from @Luka Milicevic:
I do a lot of new construction and construction sites have all sorts of issues when they are framed up.
Squatters are a big issue when a house is framed up. Not to mention materials being stolen all the time.
It certainly can be dangerous. Even when I did my construction in California, (where carrying a weapon is virtually illegal) still most Contractors and workers were armed (truck guns). Here in Arizona where you can carry anywhere/anytime, you better believe Construction guys are armed. Still a good idea to call the cops first - if you can and if there is time of course....
I never needed a gun, I carried a B.F.H. (Big F'in Hammer) lol.
- Real Estate Broker · Cleveland Dayton Cincinnati Toledo Columbus & Akron, OH · Member since 2013 · 30k+ posts · 20k+ votes3y
Quote from @Mark Cruse:
I recently decided to sell off portions of my portfolio but I've been in the class d arena my entire time in the business. There was a young investor killed in Baltimore not long ago and it still bothers me. Yea, people die daily in major cities but this one really hit home. He was simply renovating a property and was shot dead outside of it. Man, I can write a book on my in the hood stories and had my share of chaos but I was able to always mitigate stuff. However, this could have been anyone. I just sold my south Baltimore properties and that was the same area which had 28 shot a few weeks back. How frequent is it for investors to face violence? I dont hear about much but it could just be the circle I'm in. What are your horror stories?
This kinda stuff is fairly common. My team and I are always armed when doing business in low income neighborhoods.
- Investor · Scottsdale Austin Tuktoyaktuk · Member since 2021 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes3yYour Comment "and generally would apply no matter where you live"
Quote from @Lensdarly Dieujuste:
Rest in Peace. So hard to hear. That's why I do this quietly and pray for safety because if anyone knew how much I'm projected to earn in my neighborhood, there may be a bounty on my head. As unfortunate as that is to say. This is just human nature and generally would apply no matter where you live and how much you net.
You should get out of the inner city more, that just isn't the case. Most neighborhoods are a lot safer than you've experienced. - 3yJoe S.Pro MemberInvestor · San Antonio · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votesYour post was very thought-provoking. You mention culture. There are cultures that will dismiss your logic simply because it was ingrained in their culture to do so. Basically it is their culture to blame everyone else.
Quote from @James Hamling:
Quote from @Account Closed:
@Bruce Woodruff Blaming and truth is two different things. Again WHY are people in poverty? Is it because they don’t care about themselves or is it because they have been trained by a system that made them depend on the system, stole their freedom and lied to them for years. Sure they should care about a community they don’t own and have no equity in. The people investing in the neighborhoods have the resources.
Maria, why does money exist? Yes, a means to exchange goods and services, I get that BUT why does the very item of a currency, OF money itself exist? This is VERY important because your entire foundation of belief is wrong.
Money exists because humans require BRIBERY to act.
That is the truth and fact of it. Humans are NOT altruistic.
We produce enough food in the world to feed every human 3 times over, so why do some starve? We have the capacity to build a shelter for every human on earth in the next 12 months, but we don't. Unknown people kill other unknown people to help advance the victory of some other unknown persons wants and wills and it's ok because we call it war.
Humans are NOT altruistic. We are petty, lazy, selfish, self-serving, manipulative, destructive little hairless ape's who require EXPANSIVE systems of control to FORCE us to act civil, to participate in act's of social construct.
Your premise Maria, is flawed, because the foundation is flawed, by a notion that all people want to be good, do good, give freely. Fact and reality is the total opposite and it's been proven time and time again. WELFARE is the US is a prime example. As more and more is given more and more persons DISENGAGED vs engaged. Persons take the hand-out and DO LESS. That is the facts and reality.
And color has ZERO to do with it, but CULTURE has EVERYTHING to do with it. My culture was of such that the humiliation is too great a pain to endure to take such. I had many asian immigrant friends growing up who experienced very similar cultures. We did not have the option to sit on our duff and just enjoy existing, we would suffer berating daily for such. It was not the government nor any politics who drove us, it was our culture, our expectations of self, what our culture would and would not accept.
Why does poverty exist? Because a person has accepted poverty as an acceptable condition of existing FULL-STOP.
Poverty is a CHOICE for 99.8% of persons. And that Maria IS FREEDOM!
Freedom is by it's very definition the opportunity to have however much good OR BAD a person will strive for. A system that removes a persons opportunity of poor choices is NOT FREEDOM.
If you want freedom, there will be sinners, it will not be an existence of only saints, because persons are free to choose either.
Fact is today most in poverty live BETTER than any member of Royalty lived 300yrs ago. A "poverty" persons lives BETTER than a King or Queen had lived, think on that for a moment.
The problem is peoples CULTURE, there CHOICES, there accountability of self, family, community.
We could house every human on earth, feed every human on earth, eliminate half the diseases on earth but, we won't, because PEOPLE choose to live by the metric of "me and you", and not "WE". It is why they define separators of persons at every chance; color, locality, education, etc etc..
It is not society's fault, responsibility or accountability for how one engages or does not engage in their own life. Society is not a thing of itself, it's a MIRROR. Society is a REFLECTION of the peoples choices, a mirror does not make one move in any 1 way or the other, does it.
Poverty will not end until people DECIDE to hold themselves to a higher standard, when they choose a culture, a self-accountability that is different. Opportunity has been given on a level and degree beyond any in human history and yet still, persons CHOOSE to not walk the "better" path.
Your argument is with human nature.
- 3yShawn K HicksBusiness MemberReal Estate Agent · Gainesville, FL · Member since 2019 · 124 posts · 107 votes
Quote from @Mark Cruse:
I recently decided to sell off portions of my portfolio but I've been in the class d arena my entire time in the business. There was a young investor killed in Baltimore not long ago and it still bothers me. Yea, people die daily in major cities but this one really hit home. He was simply renovating a property and was shot dead outside of it. Man, I can write a book on my in the hood stories and had my share of chaos but I was able to always mitigate stuff. However, this could have been anyone. I just sold my south Baltimore properties and that was the same area which had 28 shot a few weeks back. How frequent is it for investors to face violence? I dont hear about much but it could just be the circle I'm in. What are your horror stories?
Here in Gainesville FL, there's that saying you can "find trouble if you go looking for it". Even in the areas with higher crime statistics however, generally civilians are pretty safe in the daytime. In those areas if you show respect, typically there are not any issues. I will say the one scenario I don't like to get too involved in is with squatters and hold over tenants. There have been a couple times in my career where I could read the room and pick up on I had better not open my mouth and let the squatters know the eviction process would be underway. Most people you can politely lay out the cards. Other times, if dude at the front door is shooting you a unit, well, if you know you know.
In general however, Gainesville FL is a pretty safe area for investors. I can imagine in parts of certain larger markets around my state however, it's probably something to be considered in certain D neighborhoods.
Shawn Hicks Realtor525 Reviews - Real Estate Broker · Cleveland Dayton Cincinnati Toledo Columbus & Akron, OH · Member since 2013 · 30k+ posts · 20k+ votes3y
Quote from @Account Closed:
Your Comment "and generally would apply no matter where you live"Quote from @Lensdarly Dieujuste:
Rest in Peace. So hard to hear. That's why I do this quietly and pray for safety because if anyone knew how much I'm projected to earn in my neighborhood, there may be a bounty on my head. As unfortunate as that is to say. This is just human nature and generally would apply no matter where you live and how much you net.
You should get out of the inner city more, that just isn't the case. Most neighborhoods are a lot safer than you've experienced.lol yea it's pretty insane how people just throw statistics and data out the window and make these kinds of comments....
Crime is a trackable thing yo.
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