Theresa HarrisPro Member
Member since 2019 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
3y
What is the vacancy rate in the area and are other homes sitting on the market? Vacancies shouldn't last months at this time of year. Find out what platforms others are using to list rentals, look at the photos and assess the price.
5 Reply
William Broxson
Real Estate Agent · Youngtown Ohio · Member since 2019 · 66 posts · 46 votes
3y
Honestly, those pictures look pretty rough and there are none of the interior. Still a shortage of rentals should not take that long.
10 Reply
Terrell Garren
Rental Property Investor · Concord, NC · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 3k+ votes
3y
5BR/1BA - That's a lot of waiting. I would have converted a BR to a BA. It does look pretty rough. Time to lower the price I suspect.
8 Reply
Max Ferguson
Real Estate Broker · Denver/Castle Pines/Colorado Springs, CO · Member since 2021 · 248 posts · 136 votes
3y
The pictures are really lackluster. Pay a professional to get good ones of the exterior AND interior. If I were looking to rent I would pass on that due to no interior pictures, I wouldn't want to waste my time with a showing as I would suspect the inside to be worse than the outside with pictures like that.

Spend the money and you will get a good return, if not, time to lower the price.

Also, as @Terrell Garren 5bd 1 BA is a really tough ask. Whatever it costs in the area, it would be worth it to add the extra bathroom.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!
4 Reply
Adam Martin
Rental Property Investor · Member since 2020 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
3y
Don't take this post the wrong way but I am really just giving you honest feedback on what I think which is probably what many potential applicants are thinking as well, I'm only trying to help.
You hopefully really didn't put your best foot forward on this listing. Generally if there is something I don't want someone to see I won't take a picture of it. You zoomed in on a cracked driveway full of weeds and a fence that looks like it is going to fall down at any moment with bad landscaping. There are no pictures on the inside but if I were a tenant I'd say the reason is because it is in even worse shape than the outside. I'm genuinely curious why you didn't include a single picture of the inside but from the listing I would assume it is in slum like conditions. That doesn't mean that it is but based on the 4 pictures you showed and the fact that a applicant is going to have to assume you are hiding something I just don't see tenants beating down the door to take a look.
In your defense though I have to assume that the real reason you didn't post pictures is you remodeled the house since you bought it in April but it wasn't available until last week. Hurry up and take some new pictures since I assume you have fixed the fence and made some great improvements inside to get rid of the negative stereotype of your listing. If an applicant bothers to read you state that it is updated with SS appliances and an updated kitchen but people aren't going to get past the pictures to read.  I don't know the area at all but you seem to be priced significantly above the other houses in the area.
Have you been allowing showings while you are renovating. I bought a house over the summer that was a real fixer uppper but let tenants know that it wouldn't be ready for a month thinking they would understand and see my vision. They didn't and I wasted a lot of time showing I could have been working. I took it down for a couple weeks and then rented it fairly easily when it was in better shape.
I've never posted on realtor, I may have to try it but I get a lot of traction in my area on Zillow are you posted there as well. I also post on FB marketplace but it is mostly garbage applicants and a waste of time however I'll eventually get someone on there so I keep trying.
When I re-read my post I noticed I used the word assume a lot both positive and negative and edited a few of them out but I think that is the real issue with your listing is your pictures don't tell the story. I'm sure it is a really nice house and you did a great job updating but if I were an applicant I wouldn't waste my time looking into it for one of the most expensive houses in the area.
7 Reply
Russell BrazilBusiness Member
Moderator
Real Estate Agent · Washington, D.C. · Member since 2012 · 17k+ posts · 30k+ votes
3y
Only 4 pics and all exterior.
Hire a professional photographer. Get floor plans. Also most people looking to rent a 5 bedroom house will want more than 1 bath. Consider adding a bathroom.
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3 Reply
Bill B.
Investor · Las Vegas, NV · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 10k+ votes
3y
This is also how a scam artist would advertise a property they didn’t own. All exterior pictures. I assume you’re using a PM. If not, get one. If so, switch to a different one, they should have done all the advertising and pricing and should have known better. 2 weeks is a pretty long vacancy. I’m also going to assume you contacted a PM before buying this property so you would know how much it would rent for and how fast, and that there was a market for a 5/1. Personally I’ve never seen such a beast but I assume someone told you it was normal for that market and they could rent it out for you.
2 Reply
Keith N.
Investor · Raleigh, NC · Member since 2015 · 189 posts · 102 votes
3y
You should replace the entire fence, kill the weeds in the driveway, and hire a professional photographer to take photos of the home
3 Reply
Sandra Morrison
Investor · Cincinnati/Fort Thomas, KY · Member since 2015 · 207 posts · 183 votes
3y
@Amir B.
Definitely add interior pictures. Tenants assume it is a scam if there are no interior photos. You can use the ones from the listing if you can’t take new ones.
Also, show or indicate the floorplan. A tenant would want to know if 2-3 of the bedrooms were really in the basement. Good luck!
1 Reply
Ed Brown
Real Estate Agent · Temecula, CA · Member since 2015 · 8 posts · 3 votes
3y
Looks rough on the outside and no interior pics? People will pass on it, either upgrade the outside and of course show the inside. If it's rough inside how do you expect people live inside the house and if you find a tenant they will probably be a headache tenant. Sorry to be brutal, but I have been a landlord for 45 years and always made the rental nice enough that I could live there.
2 Reply
Tony Jarusook
Member since 2022 · 18 posts · 5 votes
3y
just to be transparent, having professional photos is one investment on top of my list. This listing needs more context and quality pics of both inside and outside.
2 Reply
Dan H.Pro Member
Investor · Poway, CA · Member since 2015 · 7k+ posts · 8k+ votes
3y
How many of the BR are attic BR?
Are you planning on adding dish washer and refrigerator? If so, add them and take new pictures.
Is it common to have 5 BR with only one bathroom. That alone would get me to look elsewhere. I have a single 3/1 and I find that to be too few bathrooms (all my other units have no worse than a 2 to 1 ratio).
Did you use a designer for the kitchen? Where the cabinets remaining stock/clearance?
I recognize the market is a lower rent market, but the unit looks like it was rehabbed for a lower rent market.
It looks like you reduced the rent $100/month ($55 the $45). It has been 2 weeks since your last rent decrease. What has been the interest? How many viewings have you had? How many have asked for applications? I find about 1 out of 3 who ask for an application actually submit the application. If there is no interest at your current price, you will need to further reduce the price.
Good luck
2 Reply
Marcus Auerbach
Investor · Milwaukee - Mequon, WI · Member since 2010 · 5k+ posts · 7k+ votes
3y
It doesn't matter if people are renting or buying, they are looking for a HOME! And frankly this does not look like I want to live there.
Improve the condition, get professional pictures taken and you may also have to at least provide a stove and a fridge! Ask your wife/siter/mother if they would want to move in and if not what would have to chnage efore they would consider it. Realtor.com is also not the right plattform.
We advertise on Zillow and typically have 100+ inquiries in a few days. Anything that is on the market for more than a couple weeks looks suspicious and people will start to wonder what's wrong with it.
1 Reply
Amir B.
OP
Rental Property Investor · Elk Grove, CA · Member since 2016 · 306 posts · 76 votes
3y
Quote from @Theresa Harris:

What is the vacancy rate in the area and are other homes sitting on the market? Vacancies shouldn't last months at this time of year. Find out what platforms others are using to list rentals, look at the photos and assess the price.

I don't know; maybe our leasing agent can answer that. Yes, I agree, especially this time of the year. We have the property listed with Zillow and Avail. We have dropped the price to $1,350 per month from $1,450.

@Shane Kelly
0 Reply
Amir B.
OP
Rental Property Investor · Elk Grove, CA · Member since 2016 · 306 posts · 76 votes
3y
Quote from @William Broxson:

Honestly, those pictures look pretty rough and there are none of the interior. Still a shortage of rentals should not take that long.

I went ahead and updated the pictures. I will add a new link to the listing.
1 Reply
Amir B.
OP
Rental Property Investor · Elk Grove, CA · Member since 2016 · 306 posts · 76 votes
3y
Quote from @William Broxson:

Honestly, those pictures look pretty rough and there are none of the interior. Still a shortage of rentals should not take that long.

https://www.avail.co/l/6077174...
1 Reply
Amir B.
OP
Rental Property Investor · Elk Grove, CA · Member since 2016 · 306 posts · 76 votes
3y
Quote from @Terrell Garren:

5BR/1BA - That's a lot of waiting. I would have converted a BR to a BA. It does look pretty rough. Time to lower the price I suspect.

Originally this house was a three-bed and one-bath, and the previous investor added two bedrooms. We have lowered the price to $100 per month. Per the leasing agent, we can't add a bathroom.
0 Reply
Todd Jones
Member since 2023 · 243 posts · 199 votes
3y
I see the 17 interior pics. The interior looks pretty good!
Laminate counter tops. Fresh coats of paint. Overall clean look.

But definitely I see why it isn't getting any potentials.

1) No utilities. This is the biggest reason. You're basically telling the renter:
"ok, rent is $1350 with a $1350 security deposit and application fee and...you need to buy yourself a washer, dryer, refrigerator, stove.".
When they leave, they'll have to take all these appliances. No one will sign up for that no matter what neighborhood you're in.
Out of any other updates, getting those 4 major appliances should be your top priority. Consider placing in a microwave as well.

2) Its actual layout. Five bedrooms, one bathroom...and its 1572 SQFT. Those are some relatively very small rooms. I assume the attic was converted to one or more bedroom. While, 5 bedrooms may have believed to up the property value, you're inviting a family of 4-5 to live in a home with just one bathroom. There is nothing you can do about it unless you change the top back to an attic.

3) The exterior is not bad. The backyard is fine. Fence is the neighbor's so nothing you can do there except planting bigger bushes or maiden grass to help cover it but it's not necessary. Now for the front. Pull out the weeds, mulch and retake the pic with less shadows. It would require a flight out there for 3-4 days. While expensive, consider resurfacing the driveway. It's making the house look way worse than it is and It would be 100% worth the cost.

4) Its near Lee and Miles so recheck the comps as $1350 sounds pretty high for that area. While those areas are mostly bungalows, Cleveland is the land of giants. A renter can get a 4 br with bigger rooms for cheaper in a similar neighborhood.
If you dropped it to $1299, you may get someone. Raise the rent a bit next year due to tax, insurance, etc. and you'll get back up to your original $1350 mark.
If you do 1-3 first, you MAY be able to keep the rent the same.
3 Reply
Amir B.
OP
Rental Property Investor · Elk Grove, CA · Member since 2016 · 306 posts · 76 votes
3y
Quote from @Max Ferguson:

The pictures are really lackluster. Pay a professional to get good ones of the exterior AND interior. If I were looking to rent I would pass on that due to no interior pictures, I wouldn't want to waste my time with a showing as I would suspect the inside to be worse than the outside with pictures like that.

Spend the money and you will get a good return, if not, time to lower the price.

Also, as @Terrell Garren 5bd 1 BA is a really tough ask. Whatever it costs in the area, it would be worth it to add the extra bathroom.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

I updated the listing with interior pictures. Adding a bathroom might not be as easy as it sounds.
0 Reply
Jaron WallingPro Member
Rental Property Investor · Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2018 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
3y
@Amir B. The exterior is lack luster, but I won't harp on that. The interior pics you added look like cell phone screen shots. It's not in the same format and looks bad.
0 Reply
Amir B.
OP
Rental Property Investor · Elk Grove, CA · Member since 2016 · 306 posts · 76 votes
3y
Quote from @Adam Martin:

Don't take this post the wrong way but I am really just giving you honest feedback on what I think which is probably what many potential applicants are thinking as well, I'm only trying to help.
You hopefully really didn't put your best foot forward on this listing. Generally if there is something I don't want someone to see I won't take a picture of it. You zoomed in on a cracked driveway full of weeds and a fence that looks like it is going to fall down at any moment with bad landscaping. There are no pictures on the inside but if I were a tenant I'd say the reason is because it is in even worse shape than the outside. I'm genuinely curious why you didn't include a single picture of the inside but from the listing I would assume it is in slum like conditions. That doesn't mean that it is but based on the 4 pictures you showed and the fact that a applicant is going to have to assume you are hiding something I just don't see tenants beating down the door to take a look.
In your defense though I have to assume that the real reason you didn't post pictures is you remodeled the house since you bought it in April but it wasn't available until last week. Hurry up and take some new pictures since I assume you have fixed the fence and made some great improvements inside to get rid of the negative stereotype of your listing. If an applicant bothers to read you state that it is updated with SS appliances and an updated kitchen but people aren't going to get past the pictures to read.  I don't know the area at all but you seem to be priced significantly above the other houses in the area.
Have you been allowing showings while you are renovating. I bought a house over the summer that was a real fixer uppper but let tenants know that it wouldn't be ready for a month thinking they would understand and see my vision. They didn't and I wasted a lot of time showing I could have been working. I took it down for a couple weeks and then rented it fairly easily when it was in better shape.
I've never posted on realtor, I may have to try it but I get a lot of traction in my area on Zillow are you posted there as well. I also post on FB marketplace but it is mostly garbage applicants and a waste of time however I'll eventually get someone on there so I keep trying.
When I re-read my post I noticed I used the word assume a lot both positive and negative and edited a few of them out but I think that is the real issue with your listing is your pictures don't tell the story. I'm sure it is a really nice house and you did a great job updating but if I were an applicant I wouldn't waste my time looking into it for one of the most expensive houses in the area.

Thanks for the feedback. I went ahead and updated the listing with Avail. They partner up with several websites, including Realtor.com. We also have it listed with Zillow.
https://www.zillow.com/homedet...
https://www.avail.co/l/6077174...
0 Reply
Amir B.
OP
Rental Property Investor · Elk Grove, CA · Member since 2016 · 306 posts · 76 votes
3y
Quote from @Russell Brazil:

Only 4 pics and all exterior.
Hire a professional photographer. Get floor plans. Also most people looking to rent a 5 bedroom house will want more than 1 bath. Consider adding a bathroom.

Yes, it was a bad idea to add pictures of the exterior only. I went ahead and updated the listing with more pictures.
https://www.avail.co/l/6077174...
https://www.zillow.com/homedet...
0 Reply
Henry Lazerow
Real Estate Agent · Chicago, IL · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
3y
It looks OK. I would recomend having a realtor friend in area re-write it for you. Definitely get rid of managed by a responsible landlord via software and get rid of no utilities. People know utility not included. Try to be more positive and appealing to tenants in the writing.
Whats market comps for 3br or 4br houses? A 5br 1ba will be similar to the same.
1 Reply
Kevin Sobilo
Realtor · Hanover Twp, PA · Member since 2018 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
3y
Quote from @Amir B.:

Quote from @Terrell Garren:

5BR/1BA - That's a lot of waiting. I would have converted a BR to a BA. It does look pretty rough. Time to lower the price I suspect.

Originally this house was a three-bed and one-bath, and the previous investor added two bedrooms. We have lowered the price to $100 per month. Per the leasing agent, we can't add a bathroom.

Are you sure those 2 added bedrooms are actually bedrooms? One looks like it has a stairway in it. Does it have a door? Are the windows large enough to meet egress requirements?

Are those bedrooms even large enough to be bedrooms. I think they are supposed to be at least 70 square feet and that you may only be able to count the space with full head height (typically 7' or more unless built prior to the code requiring that minimum height).

To my mind, you have a 3 bedroom house with 2 bonus rooms that could be used as storage, home office, playroom, etc.

If you comp out 3 bedroom homes what would the rent be? Maybe that thinking will get you on track to finding a renter.
1 Reply
Chris Merchant
Member since 2023 · 216 posts · 133 votes
3y
Can't add a bathroom? Why so?
Definitely do something with the fence, vinyl fences are popular around me instead of the wood. May also consider hiring a landscaper to come in and spruce the yard up, get rid of the wild bushes, grass in the driveway etc... remember 1st impression is a lasting one, when people pull up or drive by you want them to say "that looks like a nice place, I wanna live there" instead of "wow this yard needs a lot of work, it looks abandoned".
You want people to want to live in your house, you don't want them to need to live there. If they want to live there they are way more likely to take care of the place versus if they need to live there.
0 Reply

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