I can’t count how many properties I’ve walked into and found pennies, nickels, quarters—even perfectly good items—just left behind. I’ve never understood why so many people struggling financially dismiss the pennies, while the wealthy count every single one. That’s how they stay wealthy. It hit me like a wall the day I was buying a serious property and realized the amount of cash just lying around. Small money habits matter more than most people think.
What’s the smallest “money find” you’ve had that stuck with you? My best friend has been $15,000 worth of material and furniture!
I was just telling somebody else that we have accumulated about 20 hammers, left behind by tenants and former owners. Tool boxes, other tools including power tools, garden tools were left behind. Many of the properties that we bought were through Sheriff Sales and Taxes Sales, where the owners/tenants left involuntary or were deceased. We've gotten multiple cars, none of which were running and were older used cars, nothing of any value and since we didn't have keys or titles ended up getting a salvage tower to come and get. And since we didn't have titles, we didn't get any money just the towing was free. We got a motorcycle once but it was missing a front wheel and we junked it. Lots of metal junk went to the salvage yard for recycling, as well as paper, cans and bottles. I one house we didn't get a dumpster, but put out 165 construction bags of trash, after donating clothes, furniture and household goods to local charities like Goodwill and Salvation Army. At one house I found an envelop under the carpet with about $100, I think that was the most cash I ever found after buying and selling over 1,000 properties. Lots of furniture, at it looked like they left all the furniture and household goods including food. It was an estate property and I did notice that there were gun magazines, but we never found any guns. I presume that the family took all the guns and jewelry and left everything else. We also bought some hoarder houses. The first one was before I even heard the term "hoarder house". It was packed floor to ceiling with pathways that were two feet thick with trampled trash. It took several 30 yard dumpsters to empty and there were no valuables recovered. My business partner once bought a hoarder house and the only thing he kept was a long extension cord. Everything else was junk and trash. We bought a house that had a major fire and everything was left in the house, no valuables. We also bought some flooded properties, no valuables found there either. We've found lots of big items that are hard to move or heavy like refrigerators and other appliances, most were damaged, filthy and unusable and were taken to the scrap yards for the metal content. We have found lots of pennies and loose coins; I think people are too lazy to pick them up and figure that pennies are worthless.
I can’t count how many properties I’ve walked into and found pennies, nickels, quarters—even perfectly good items—just left behind. I’ve never understood why so many people struggling financially dismiss the pennies, while the wealthy count every single one. That’s how they stay wealthy. It hit me like a wall the day I was buying a serious property and realized the amount of cash just lying around. Small money habits matter more than most people think.
What’s the smallest “money find” you’ve had that stuck with you? My best friend has been $15,000 worth of material and furniture!
I can’t count how many properties I’ve walked into and found pennies, nickels, quarters—even perfectly good items—just left behind. I’ve never understood why so many people struggling financially dismiss the pennies, while the wealthy count every single one. That’s how they stay wealthy. It hit me like a wall the day I was buying a serious property and realized the amount of cash just lying around. Small money habits matter more than most people think.
What’s the smallest “money find” you’ve had that stuck with you? My best friend has been $15,000 worth of material and furniture!
As a past realtor, I notice similar, not just with money. People who take care of what they have tend to be more prosperous/"lucky". Those who don't, tend to struggle. Little issues taken care of are less likely to turn into larger issues. A small property cared for and tended to can be more desire able than a larger property let go.
As a past realtor, I notice similar, not just with money. People who take care of what they have tend to be more prosperous/"lucky". Those who don't, tend to struggle. Little issues taken care of are less likely to turn into larger issues. A small property cared for and tended to can be more desire able than a larger property let go.
Donna, I couldn’t agree more. I’ve seen that same pattern—people who take care of the little things tend to end up ahead, and it’s not luck, it’s habit. A well-loved small house can beat a neglected big one every time.
I haven't came across much that was worth the time/struggle to sell
Lawnmowers, pressure washers, various lawn equipment, tires, cinderblocks, random old furniture, a few very large concrete statues, large mirrors, washers/dryers - I just tell me PM to throw everything out and deduct from the deposit accordingly. I just don't have the time or space to go through everything
There's a saying: "If you watch your pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves"
I haven't came across much that was worth the time/struggle to sell
Lawnmowers, pressure washers, various lawn equipment, tires, cinderblocks, random old furniture, a few very large concrete statues, large mirrors, washers/dryers - I just tell me PM to throw everything out and deduct from the deposit accordingly. I just don't have the time or space to go through everything
There's a saying: "If you watch your pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves"
Jeremy, I hear you—storage space is gold, and going through piles of random left-behinds isn’t always worth the effort. Still, I can’t help but feel like a detective sometimes, wondering what led to that odd mix of treasures and junk.
I was just telling somebody else that we have accumulated about 20 hammers, left behind by tenants and former owners. Tool boxes, other tools including power tools, garden tools were left behind. Many of the properties that we bought were through Sheriff Sales and Taxes Sales, where the owners/tenants left involuntary or were deceased. We've gotten multiple cars, none of which were running and were older used cars, nothing of any value and since we didn't have keys or titles ended up getting a salvage tower to come and get. And since we didn't have titles, we didn't get any money just the towing was free. We got a motorcycle once but it was missing a front wheel and we junked it. Lots of metal junk went to the salvage yard for recycling, as well as paper, cans and bottles. I one house we didn't get a dumpster, but put out 165 construction bags of trash, after donating clothes, furniture and household goods to local charities like Goodwill and Salvation Army. At one house I found an envelop under the carpet with about $100, I think that was the most cash I ever found after buying and selling over 1,000 properties. Lots of furniture, at it looked like they left all the furniture and household goods including food. It was an estate property and I did notice that there were gun magazines, but we never found any guns. I presume that the family took all the guns and jewelry and left everything else. We also bought some hoarder houses. The first one was before I even heard the term "hoarder house". It was packed floor to ceiling with pathways that were two feet thick with trampled trash. It took several 30 yard dumpsters to empty and there were no valuables recovered. My business partner once bought a hoarder house and the only thing he kept was a long extension cord. Everything else was junk and trash. We bought a house that had a major fire and everything was left in the house, no valuables. We also bought some flooded properties, no valuables found there either. We've found lots of big items that are hard to move or heavy like refrigerators and other appliances, most were damaged, filthy and unusable and were taken to the scrap yards for the metal content. We have found lots of pennies and loose coins; I think people are too lazy to pick them up and figure that pennies are worthless.
I was just telling somebody else that we have accumulated about 20 hammers, left behind by tenants and former owners. Tool boxes, other tools including power tools, garden tools were left behind. Many of the properties that we bought were through Sheriff Sales and Taxes Sales, where the owners/tenants left involuntary or were deceased. We've gotten multiple cars, none of which were running and were older used cars, nothing of any value and since we didn't have keys or titles ended up getting a salvage tower to come and get. And since we didn't have titles, we didn't get any money just the towing was free. We got a motorcycle once but it was missing a front wheel and we junked it. Lots of metal junk went to the salvage yard for recycling, as well as paper, cans and bottles. I one house we didn't get a dumpster, but put out 165 construction bags of trash, after donating clothes, furniture and household goods to local charities like Goodwill and Salvation Army. At one house I found an envelop under the carpet with about $100, I think that was the most cash I ever found after buying and selling over 1,000 properties. Lots of furniture, at it looked like they left all the furniture and household goods including food. It was an estate property and I did notice that there were gun magazines, but we never found any guns. I presume that the family took all the guns and jewelry and left everything else. We also bought some hoarder houses. The first one was before I even heard the term "hoarder house". It was packed floor to ceiling with pathways that were two feet thick with trampled trash. It took several 30 yard dumpsters to empty and there were no valuables recovered. My business partner once bought a hoarder house and the only thing he kept was a long extension cord. Everything else was junk and trash. We bought a house that had a major fire and everything was left in the house, no valuables. We also bought some flooded properties, no valuables found there either. We've found lots of big items that are hard to move or heavy like refrigerators and other appliances, most were damaged, filthy and unusable and were taken to the scrap yards for the metal content. We have found lots of pennies and loose coins; I think people are too lazy to pick them up and figure that pennies are worthless.
I was just telling somebody else that we have accumulated about 20 hammers, left behind by tenants and former owners. Tool boxes, other tools including power tools, garden tools were left behind. Many of the properties that we bought were through Sheriff Sales and Taxes Sales, where the owners/tenants left involuntary or were deceased. We've gotten multiple cars, none of which were running and were older used cars, nothing of any value and since we didn't have keys or titles ended up getting a salvage tower to come and get. And since we didn't have titles, we didn't get any money just the towing was free. We got a motorcycle once but it was missing a front wheel and we junked it. Lots of metal junk went to the salvage yard for recycling, as well as paper, cans and bottles. I one house we didn't get a dumpster, but put out 165 construction bags of trash, after donating clothes, furniture and household goods to local charities like Goodwill and Salvation Army. At one house I found an envelop under the carpet with about $100, I think that was the most cash I ever found after buying and selling over 1,000 properties. Lots of furniture, at it looked like they left all the furniture and household goods including food. It was an estate property and I did notice that there were gun magazines, but we never found any guns. I presume that the family took all the guns and jewelry and left everything else. We also bought some hoarder houses. The first one was before I even heard the term "hoarder house". It was packed floor to ceiling with pathways that were two feet thick with trampled trash. It took several 30 yard dumpsters to empty and there were no valuables recovered. My business partner once bought a hoarder house and the only thing he kept was a long extension cord. Everything else was junk and trash. We bought a house that had a major fire and everything was left in the house, no valuables. We also bought some flooded properties, no valuables found there either. We've found lots of big items that are hard to move or heavy like refrigerators and other appliances, most were damaged, filthy and unusable and were taken to the scrap yards for the metal content. We have found lots of pennies and loose coins; I think people are too lazy to pick them up and figure that pennies are worthless.
Most stuff we see in these properties would cost more to move it out of the home than it is actually worth and people are not familiar enough to post online to list it for sale, andif you ever posted stuff online you know in most cases it is not worth the time or effort.
Most stuff we see in these properties would cost more to move it out of the home than it is actually worth and people are not familiar enough to post online to list it for sale, andif you ever posted stuff online you know in most cases it is not worth the time or effort.
Never anything really valuable, lots of stuff though, and even if its junk, filling a basement to the brim costs a lot of money, even if it was cheap stuff.
Some of our tenants have a spending problem. New luxury car in the driveway, 40 pairs of shoes stacked in brand new boxes, a closet full of purses, but late on rent. Go figure.
Never anything really valuable, lots of stuff though, and even if its junk, filling a basement to the brim costs a lot of money, even if it was cheap stuff.
Some of our tenants have a spending problem. New luxury car in the driveway, 40 pairs of shoes stacked in brand new boxes, a closet full of purses, but late on rent. Go figure.
I can’t count how many properties I’ve walked into and found pennies, nickels, quarters—even perfectly good items—just left behind. I’ve never understood why so many people struggling financially dismiss the pennies, while the wealthy count every single one. That’s how they stay wealthy. It hit me like a wall the day I was buying a serious property and realized the amount of cash just lying around. Small money habits matter more than most people think.
What’s the smallest “money find” you’ve had that stuck with you? My best friend has been $15,000 worth of material and furniture!
One vacated house, I hired two guys to de-trash and throw all the trash in a dumpster. They found a roller skate (1) I told them to set aside and they would probably find the other matching skate somewhere in the left mess. They ended up finding 9 roller skates, but everyone was a different skate and there was no matched set, so it ended up in the dumpster. I presume that the former occupant also had nine mismatched roller skates. Also they left 9 TVs and computer monitors which recycled to a place where they disassemble and save certain metals like gold and silver contained therein.
Some of my better finds; 5 gal water jug with $350 in change, a small block chevy with 138 vin. Tools, a vintage fridgidaire.
Years ago a buddy scored a 442 w30, took years to get title though.
Some of my better finds; 5 gal water jug with $350 in change, a small block chevy with 138 vin. Tools, a vintage fridgidaire.
Years ago a buddy scored a 442 w30, took years to get title though.
Alan, that’s a solid haul — a $350 change jug is no joke. I’d have been counting that like I hit the lottery.
We bought a house at a forced sale where the former owner had 47 live cats and 6 dead cats. When the Sheriff came to forcibly remove the person, they decided to punch the Sheriff. They ended up taking the person to a mental hospital for observation. They also called the Humane Society to remove the 47 live cats. The Humane Society required me to sign 47 adoption papers, and the story made the TV news. Due to the odor and damage caused by the cats, we removed all the furniture, all the carpeting, all the baseboards, all the interior doors, and all the drywall and trim 2 feet above the floor. I required that all the people doing the work use respirators.
We bought a house at a forced sale where the former owner had 47 live cats and 6 dead cats. When the Sheriff came to forcibly remove the person, they decided to punch the Sheriff. They ended up taking the person to a mental hospital for observation. They also called the Humane Society to remove the 47 live cats. The Humane Society required me to sign 47 adoption papers, and the story made the TV news. Due to the odor and damage caused by the cats, we removed all the furniture, all the carpeting, all the baseboards, all the interior doors, and all the drywall and trim 2 feet above the floor. I required that all the people doing the work use respirators.
We bought a house at a forced sale where the former owner had 47 live cats and 6 dead cats. When the Sheriff came to forcibly remove the person, they decided to punch the Sheriff. They ended up taking the person to a mental hospital for observation. They also called the Humane Society to remove the 47 live cats. The Humane Society required me to sign 47 adoption papers, and the story made the TV news. Due to the odor and damage caused by the cats, we removed all the furniture, all the carpeting, all the baseboards, all the interior doors, and all the drywall and trim 2 feet above the floor. I required that all the people doing the work use respirators.
Benadryl!, never leave home without it lol
We bought a house at a forced sale where the former owner had 47 live cats and 6 dead cats. When the Sheriff came to forcibly remove the person, they decided to punch the Sheriff. They ended up taking the person to a mental hospital for observation. They also called the Humane Society to remove the 47 live cats. The Humane Society required me to sign 47 adoption papers, and the story made the TV news. Due to the odor and damage caused by the cats, we removed all the furniture, all the carpeting, all the baseboards, all the interior doors, and all the drywall and trim 2 feet above the floor. I required that all the people doing the work use respirators.
David, nine mismatched roller skates might be my favorite “find” story yet. Sounds like a mystery straight out of a sitcom.
In the early days I would rescue anything that looked like it could be of value, some of which was sold other things donated. These days the time and energy expenditure usually outstrips the effort, meaning that I spend more on the items than they are worth to me or someone else. I do have a very nice set of mid century modern bedroom furniture from an estate sale that I bought a house through; the furniture is probably worth several thousand dollars as it was flawless, handmade in the early 50s out of high quality solid birch (most birch is veneer). But beyond that I don't bother with the stuff anymore. In fact donating it has even become tougher. A few months ago a tenant left a basement full of furniture behind. Instead of charging them for the haul off I called our Restore store, who usually comes and picks up everything for free and resells it for their charity work. I sent pictures and they agreed they wanted it all. When the guys got there - the day before the new tenant was taking possession - they told me they don't take anything that's particleboard or press board any more, only solid wood or metal. So I ended up having to have the other stuff hauled off anyway, out of pocket I might add since we had already finalized the previous deposit on the charity basis. No good deed as they say. Lesson learned, of course, and all future junk now goes directly through the hauler to the dump or wherever they take it.
In the early days I would rescue anything that looked like it could be of value, some of which was sold other things donated. These days the time and energy expenditure usually outstrips the effort, meaning that I spend more on the items than they are worth to me or someone else. I do have a very nice set of mid century modern bedroom furniture from an estate sale that I bought a house through; the furniture is probably worth several thousand dollars as it was flawless, handmade in the early 50s out of high quality solid birch (most birch is veneer). But beyond that I don't bother with the stuff anymore. In fact donating it has even become tougher. A few months ago a tenant left a basement full of furniture behind. Instead of charging them for the haul off I called our Restore store, who usually comes and picks up everything for free and resells it for their charity work. I sent pictures and they agreed they wanted it all. When the guys got there - the day before the new tenant was taking possession - they told me they don't take anything that's particleboard or press board any more, only solid wood or metal. So I ended up having to have the other stuff hauled off anyway, out of pocket I might add since we had already finalized the previous deposit on the charity basis. No good deed as they say. Lesson learned, of course, and all future junk now goes directly through the hauler to the dump or wherever they take it.
JD, I hear you — the rules on donations have gotten a lot stricter. And yeah, no good deed goes unpunished sometimes. That mid-century set sounds like a treasure though.
There used to be a thrift shop across the street from my multi-family. For a while I would just move over left over furniture, clothing, etc that was in decent shape and place it there on consignment. Every once in a while I would stop by to pick up a little bit of cash, but then the thrift shop moved.
Nothing of any value but I did get a laugh in one foreclosure that was empty but in rough shape. As we were fluffing it up we found a cardboard Schlitz Malt Liquor Bull coaster plugging a hole in the drywall.
I've got three good ones for you. All of which have been years ago. The first was a property on Lake Tarpon we bought at the county foreclosure auction. The house was empty until we got to the master bedroom. Hanging in the center of the closet was a new, pristine white wedding dress. I guess things didn't end well there. Second, we bought another home at the foreclosure auction. In one of the spare bedrooms...right in the middle of the room, stood a stuffed white tiger...I kid you not...very creepy. Number three on my list was an adult film and toy collection that would have made Hefner blush. What's worse is that my middle school daughter is the one that found it. Mortifying. I tried to find pics of one and two on my computer (let's just forget about three), but I couldn't. They were quite odd.
I've got three good ones for you. All of which have been years ago. The first was a property on Lake Tarpon we bought at the county foreclosure auction. The house was empty until we got to the master bedroom. Hanging in the center of the closet was a new, pristine white wedding dress. I guess things didn't end well there. Second, we bought another home at the foreclosure auction. In one of the spare bedrooms...right in the middle of the room, stood a stuffed white tiger...I kid you not...very creepy. Number three on my list was an adult film and toy collection that would have made Hefner blush. What's worse is that my middle school daughter is the one that found it. Mortifying. I tried to find pics of one and two on my computer (let's just forget about three), but I couldn't. They were quite odd.
The adult toy collection is always my favorite. I've seen it more than once lol.
I think a lot of them just don't have the mental bandwidth to actually deal with all of it. I don't think people realize how much work moving is lol.
I had a unit 2 months ago they didn't start moving until move out deadline at 10am, and we had to repaint, repair appliances, clean, replace floors, fix the sinks, before 10am the next day.
Finished it, tenant was angry of course. But we got it done.