Rent to Retirement my experience

Rent to Retirement my experience

Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2022 · 4 posts · 6 votes

I wanted to share my experience with Rent to Retirement.

I bought my first turnkey in Indiana around October of 2022. It was rented out in January 2023. It was $50 less than expected but not a big deal.

I bought 2 more properties in Kansas City in May of 2023. Both of those properties came with tenants in place. To make it easy I'll say property A and property B.

The Indiana property went as expected, with some misc. things like changing the air filter but nothing out of the ordinary.

For the KS properties - I had a call with the property management company owner and ops manager when I first bought the properties and everything sounded good, tenants are in place and everything is going smoothly.

KS prop. A - I got a rent check the first month, partial rent the 2nd month, and bill for $550. So I reached out to see what is going on and the manager I first talked to said, "the $550 is the eviction cost from the lawyer." So then I asked what do you mean eviction? I thought everything was going well? and the PM manager said, "I have a note in my system that "the owner of the PM company" contacted you and said this tenant hasn't paid in months so we wanted to cover the first month's rent."

So without my knowledge, I bought a turnkey property with a tenant that wasn't paying (never paid), I had to evict them (pay for the eviction), I had to pay for the turnover cost which was thousands of dollars, and I've been lied to by at least the property manager that came with property within 2 months of signing on the property (August).

So I got everything fixed, the PM wanted to get the property rent ready. I reached out to the property management if they have got any updates on getting the property rented out or what we need to do to get the property rented but the property was vacant from August 2023 to March 2024.

In March 2024 the PM team said the property had been broken into and vandalized. The repair cost will be around $10-$15k to get rent ready again.

I reached out to Rtr a couple of times before this to voice my concerns/frustrations to see how I should navigate what has been going on with the property and PM company. This time I called Rtr and they said, "we need to switch PM companies to "PM company B", we have had a lot of complaints and have been moving a lot of Rtr customers over to this new PM company for a few months.

I moved over to the new PM team and the property is still getting repaired and it happened 3 months ago.

I've basically paid the mortgage on this property for a year with no rental income and a ton of expenses.

The other properties had their own set of issues (the IN tenants trashed the property) but this KS property was so stressful, a headache, a hassle, such a financial loss, and I've just felt lied to the whole time I want to sell all of them and get away from it.

The IN house has been on the market for 76 days (since this is the first property ready to sell, KS prop. A is still being renovated, KS prop. B is going through an eviction) The realtor said the main issue is whoever did the initial renovations cut a lot of corners and it shows when you go to the property, it looks perfect in pictures but in person not so much. The RE agent said the floors have large gaps, the flooring is bowing in the kitchen, and other problems that buyers notice.

I've talked to realtors about the value of the 2 KS properties and they all say it's going to be hard to get anywhere close to what you paid for those. But I'll cross that bridge when I get there, neither property seems like it will be ready to sell any time soon.


Overall, I wish I had never gotten into the turnkey business it has been very stressful and a huge financial loss.

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Michael SmytheBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · Metro Detroit · Member since 2023 · 4k+ posts · 3k+ votes
2y

@Johnny Haygood have heard this same basic story so many times:(

Everyone always points fingers to avoid accountability, so you get nowhere.

Recommend you fly out and walk your properties with an agent, PMC and contractor to strategize.

Logical Property Management4.9455 Reviews
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  • JD MartinBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
    2y
    Quote from @Johnny Haygood:

    I wanted to share my experience with Rent to Retirement.

    I bought my first turnkey in Indiana around October of 2022. It was rented out in January 2023. It was $50 less than expected but not a big deal.

    I bought 2 more properties in Kansas City in May of 2023. Both of those properties came with tenants in place. To make it easy I'll say property A and property B.

    The Indiana property went as expected, with some misc. things like changing the air filter but nothing out of the ordinary.

    For the KS properties - I had a call with the property management company owner and ops manager when I first bought the properties and everything sounded good, tenants are in place and everything is going smoothly.

    KS prop. A - I got a rent check the first month, partial rent the 2nd month, and bill for $550. So I reached out to see what is going on and the manager I first talked to said, "the $550 is the eviction cost from the lawyer." So then I asked what do you mean eviction? I thought everything was going well? and the PM manager said, "I have a note in my system that "the owner of the PM company" contacted you and said this tenant hasn't paid in months so we wanted to cover the first month's rent."

    So without my knowledge, I bought a turnkey property with a tenant that wasn't paying (never paid), I had to evict them (pay for the eviction), I had to pay for the turnover cost which was thousands of dollars, and I've been lied to by at least the property manager that came with property within 2 months of signing on the property (August).

    So I got everything fixed, the PM wanted to get the property rent ready. I reached out to the property management if they have got any updates on getting the property rented out or what we need to do to get the property rented but the property was vacant from August 2023 to March 2024.

    In March 2024 the PM team said the property had been broken into and vandalized. The repair cost will be around $10-$15k to get rent ready again.

    I reached out to Rtr a couple of times before this to voice my concerns/frustrations to see how I should navigate what has been going on with the property and PM company. This time I called Rtr and they said, "we need to switch PM companies to "PM company B", we have had a lot of complaints and have been moving a lot of Rtr customers over to this new PM company for a few months.

    I moved over to the new PM team and the property is still getting repaired and it happened 3 months ago.

    I've basically paid the mortgage on this property for a year with no rental income and a ton of expenses.

    The other properties had their own set of issues (the IN tenants trashed the property) but this KS property was so stressful, a headache, a hassle, such a financial loss, and I've just felt lied to the whole time I want to sell all of them and get away from it.

    The IN house has been on the market for 76 days (since this is the first property ready to sell, KS prop. A is still being renovated, KS prop. B is going through an eviction) The realtor said the main issue is whoever did the initial renovations cut a lot of corners and it shows when you go to the property, it looks perfect in pictures but in person not so much. The RE agent said the floors have large gaps, the flooring is bowing in the kitchen, and other problems that buyers notice.

    I've talked to realtors about the value of the 2 KS properties and they all say it's going to be hard to get anywhere close to what you paid for those. But I'll cross that bridge when I get there, neither property seems like it will be ready to sell any time soon.


    Overall, I wish I had never gotten into the turnkey business it has been very stressful and a huge financial loss.


    Ouch. Sorry to hear about all of this. REI can be painful for sure. It's nowhere near as easy or sugarcoated as some people make out to be. Consider all of this a very painful lesson in how not to invest in RE, and you may come out better on the other end!

    Skyline Properties
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  • Adam BartomeoBusiness Member
    Real Estate Broker · Cape Coral, FL · Member since 2015 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    2y

    Unfortunately, it sounds like a lot of these companies have delivered similar type experiences. I first interacted with them in 2021 and they were quoting me rents $500 higher than market rents. I own a PMC and know what rents are. I knew at that point there were going to be a lot of upset folks in the future… here we are.

  • Gregory SchwartzBusiness Member
    Rental Property Investor · College Station, TX · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    2y

    I'm sorry you have to go through this. I'll be honest I had a similar, though not as aggressive of a story with my first rental. The culminating event was when my PM said they wanted a concealed carry to tour my rental with me. Long story short I decided that day to have more control over my properties. The good news is that we now have many more rentals and very few issues. 

    Good luck and dont give up on REI

  • Michael SmytheBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Metro Detroit · Member since 2023 · 4k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    2y

    @Johnny Haygood have heard this same basic story so many times:(

    Everyone always points fingers to avoid accountability, so you get nowhere.

    Recommend you fly out and walk your properties with an agent, PMC and contractor to strategize.

    Logical Property Management4.9455 Reviews
  • Real Estate Agent · Kansas City · Member since 2018 · 4k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    2y

    Where is the ones at in Kansas City? 

  • Nicholas L.Pro Member
    Flipper/Rehabber · Pittsburgh · Member since 2018 · 6k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    2y

    @Johnny Haygood

    I am sorry you are going through this.  Can you make a trip in person to KS, talk to some brand new folks totally unconnected to everyone previous, and try to strategize as @Michael Smythe said?  I really think it would be worth it.  And if you provide more information maybe folks on here that are familiar with the market can help you in terms of renting vs. selling.  

  • Real Estate Agent · Memphis, TN · Member since 2019 · 365 posts · 264 votes
    2y

    @Johnny Haygood hate to hear the investment experience has started out for you this way. Like others have mentioned I would start to branch out and find your own connections to create your own path forward whether it be renting or selling. 

    Buying from a distance is certainly challenging but don't hold this experience against the entire turnkey model. There are companies out there that handle everything in house from buying the property, to renovating it themselves, selling to an investor and managing themselves. This model provides a lot more accountability as the interest have to be mutually aligned since that provider will be married with you through the longevity of the investment. 

    Best of luck getting these units squared away

  • Blake McWilliamsBusiness Member
    Realtor · Effingham, IL · Member since 2021 · 57 posts · 33 votes
    2y
    Quote from @Johnny Haygood:

    I wanted to share my experience with Rent to Retirement.

    I bought my first turnkey in Indiana around October of 2022. It was rented out in January 2023. It was $50 less than expected but not a big deal.

    I bought 2 more properties in Kansas City in May of 2023. Both of those properties came with tenants in place. To make it easy I'll say property A and property B.

    The Indiana property went as expected, with some misc. things like changing the air filter but nothing out of the ordinary.

    For the KS properties - I had a call with the property management company owner and ops manager when I first bought the properties and everything sounded good, tenants are in place and everything is going smoothly.

    KS prop. A - I got a rent check the first month, partial rent the 2nd month, and bill for $550. So I reached out to see what is going on and the manager I first talked to said, "the $550 is the eviction cost from the lawyer." So then I asked what do you mean eviction? I thought everything was going well? and the PM manager said, "I have a note in my system that "the owner of the PM company" contacted you and said this tenant hasn't paid in months so we wanted to cover the first month's rent."

    So without my knowledge, I bought a turnkey property with a tenant that wasn't paying (never paid), I had to evict them (pay for the eviction), I had to pay for the turnover cost which was thousands of dollars, and I've been lied to by at least the property manager that came with property within 2 months of signing on the property (August).

    So I got everything fixed, the PM wanted to get the property rent ready. I reached out to the property management if they have got any updates on getting the property rented out or what we need to do to get the property rented but the property was vacant from August 2023 to March 2024.

    In March 2024 the PM team said the property had been broken into and vandalized. The repair cost will be around $10-$15k to get rent ready again.

    I reached out to Rtr a couple of times before this to voice my concerns/frustrations to see how I should navigate what has been going on with the property and PM company. This time I called Rtr and they said, "we need to switch PM companies to "PM company B", we have had a lot of complaints and have been moving a lot of Rtr customers over to this new PM company for a few months.

    I moved over to the new PM team and the property is still getting repaired and it happened 3 months ago.

    I've basically paid the mortgage on this property for a year with no rental income and a ton of expenses.

    The other properties had their own set of issues (the IN tenants trashed the property) but this KS property was so stressful, a headache, a hassle, such a financial loss, and I've just felt lied to the whole time I want to sell all of them and get away from it.

    The IN house has been on the market for 76 days (since this is the first property ready to sell, KS prop. A is still being renovated, KS prop. B is going through an eviction) The realtor said the main issue is whoever did the initial renovations cut a lot of corners and it shows when you go to the property, it looks perfect in pictures but in person not so much. The RE agent said the floors have large gaps, the flooring is bowing in the kitchen, and other problems that buyers notice.

    I've talked to realtors about the value of the 2 KS properties and they all say it's going to be hard to get anywhere close to what you paid for those. But I'll cross that bridge when I get there, neither property seems like it will be ready to sell any time soon.


    Overall, I wish I had never gotten into the turnkey business it has been very stressful and a huge financial loss.


     Thank you so much for sharing. I've often wondered about turnkey companies and how they manage to find cash flow for investors. 

    RE/MAX Key Advantage4.427 Reviews
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  • Engelo RumoraBusiness Member
    Investor · Toledo, OH · Member since 2013 · 4k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    2y
    Quote from @Johnny Haygood:

    I wanted to share my experience with Rent to Retirement.

    I bought my first turnkey in Indiana around October of 2022. It was rented out in January 2023. It was $50 less than expected but not a big deal.

    I bought 2 more properties in Kansas City in May of 2023. Both of those properties came with tenants in place. To make it easy I'll say property A and property B.

    The Indiana property went as expected, with some misc. things like changing the air filter but nothing out of the ordinary.

    For the KS properties - I had a call with the property management company owner and ops manager when I first bought the properties and everything sounded good, tenants are in place and everything is going smoothly.

    KS prop. A - I got a rent check the first month, partial rent the 2nd month, and bill for $550. So I reached out to see what is going on and the manager I first talked to said, "the $550 is the eviction cost from the lawyer." So then I asked what do you mean eviction? I thought everything was going well? and the PM manager said, "I have a note in my system that "the owner of the PM company" contacted you and said this tenant hasn't paid in months so we wanted to cover the first month's rent."

    So without my knowledge, I bought a turnkey property with a tenant that wasn't paying (never paid), I had to evict them (pay for the eviction), I had to pay for the turnover cost which was thousands of dollars, and I've been lied to by at least the property manager that came with property within 2 months of signing on the property (August).

    So I got everything fixed, the PM wanted to get the property rent ready. I reached out to the property management if they have got any updates on getting the property rented out or what we need to do to get the property rented but the property was vacant from August 2023 to March 2024.

    In March 2024 the PM team said the property had been broken into and vandalized. The repair cost will be around $10-$15k to get rent ready again.

    I reached out to Rtr a couple of times before this to voice my concerns/frustrations to see how I should navigate what has been going on with the property and PM company. This time I called Rtr and they said, "we need to switch PM companies to "PM company B", we have had a lot of complaints and have been moving a lot of Rtr customers over to this new PM company for a few months.

    I moved over to the new PM team and the property is still getting repaired and it happened 3 months ago.

    I've basically paid the mortgage on this property for a year with no rental income and a ton of expenses.

    The other properties had their own set of issues (the IN tenants trashed the property) but this KS property was so stressful, a headache, a hassle, such a financial loss, and I've just felt lied to the whole time I want to sell all of them and get away from it.

    The IN house has been on the market for 76 days (since this is the first property ready to sell, KS prop. A is still being renovated, KS prop. B is going through an eviction) The realtor said the main issue is whoever did the initial renovations cut a lot of corners and it shows when you go to the property, it looks perfect in pictures but in person not so much. The RE agent said the floors have large gaps, the flooring is bowing in the kitchen, and other problems that buyers notice.

    I've talked to realtors about the value of the 2 KS properties and they all say it's going to be hard to get anywhere close to what you paid for those. But I'll cross that bridge when I get there, neither property seems like it will be ready to sell any time soon.


    Overall, I wish I had never gotten into the turnkey business it has been very stressful and a huge financial loss.



    Hey mate,

    Sorry to hear about your troubles.

    I've been offering "true" turnkey properties for 10+ years now and have many scars to prove it.

    There has been and still is a huge stigma surrounding the industry and rightly so.

    The very best rated in the industry sometimes get blasted on the forum.

    Like with any business that has stood the test of time, we have had our fair share of successes and failures.

    We have done very well for many investors and could have performed better for others.

    Many times, we are to blame and other times it was the investors fault IMO.

    One thing I have always claimed is that we don't steal, cheat or lie and my team and myself work very hard and always make decisions with investors best interest at heart.

    Personally, I believe that folks that work hard and do their best shouldn't be crucified for an honest mistake when it happens.

    But, I guess others aren't as reasonable when it comes to such situations and I don't judge them for it.

    I take the punch on the chin and still continue doing my best.

    Over the years, I have made millions and lost millions but only blame myself when I loose.

    Not others.

    Also, I've always preached to start slow and only use cash which has cost my business 90% in sales volume.

    I just don't believe that investors should use leverage when first starting to build their portfolio.

    Reverse engineer and base all real estate, business and even life decisions from a risk analysis worst case scenario standpoint.

    If you believe that you can absorb a worst case scenario outcome, then pursue the opportunity.

    Build a strong foundation with cash owned properties and gain experience first.

    "Feel" the true beat of the portfolio's income and expenses performance before using leverage to speed up the growth of your portfolio.

    Using cash only will protect your bottom line in scenario's like yours when the properties don't perform as expected as you won't be on the hook to cover the mortgage expenses.

    Just my bias opinion so take it with a grain of salt.

    I've also witnessed many finger pointing instances when others get involved.

    Like a new property manager, realtor, contractor, etc...

    I've had my share of bad experiences with realtors that threw my company under the bus and got in the investors ear to flog it at any price just so they can make a quick commission.

    It get's very messy, painful and pretty much turns into a disaster with the investor not knowing who to trust or what to do anymore.

    Similar to what you post about has happened to me and my company many times and if allowed the opportunity, we do our best to fix and come good.

    Some loose trust and faith and I 100% understand, but as soon as someone leaves the wing of my company there is not much that we can do because as I mentioned above, everyone else get's involved, has an opinion and the situation get's very messy.

    Having in-house property management is vital when such a "crisis" arises.

    I tried out-sourced PM when we first started and it was a disaster.

    We had no choice other than to bring it in-house.

    Hated my life for the first 5 years with in-house PM and fast forward 10 years, it has become our "golden goose" and a very well streamlined and beautiful business.

    From what I've seen and read on the forum and elsewhere it seems like RTR has a good reputation and what you have mentioned seems like a "worst case scenario".

    I hope RTR will assist you the best they can and all I can say is learn from the experience and don't give up.

    Do your best to weather the storm and focus on minutia.

    Don't have regrets and don't spend too much time dwelling on the past.

    Glimpse into the past to get guidance from what you could have done better and think ahead.

    Move forward smarter, more experienced and better.

    Wishing you well and much success with your future endeavors.
  • Engelo RumoraBusiness Member
    Investor · Toledo, OH · Member since 2013 · 4k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    2y
    Quote from @Taz Zettergren:

    @Johnny Haygood hate to hear the investment experience has started out for you this way. Like others have mentioned I would start to branch out and find your own connections to create your own path forward whether it be renting or selling. 

    Buying from a distance is certainly challenging but don't hold this experience against the entire turnkey model. There are companies out there that handle everything in house from buying the property, to renovating it themselves, selling to an investor and managing themselves. This model provides a lot more accountability as the interest have to be mutually aligned since that provider will be married with you through the longevity of the investment. 

    Best of luck getting these units squared away



    A "true" turnkey provider is always waiting for the ax to fall mate and it can only fall on their head lol

    Lot of accountability and responsibility for sure and it takes many many years to get operating decently.

    I won't say "perfectly" because there are non stop kinks in the armor of a true turnkey provider.

    Thanks 
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