Real Estate Investor · Huntington Beach, CA · Member since 2008 · 221 posts · 9 votes
I have been looking at properties in a largely hispanic apartment area. I'm curious how would the landlords here screen their tenants? Since most of the tenants here are illegal immigrants they probably have no credit, no public records at all. What gives?
Investor · Paradise Valley, AZ · Member since 2012 · 361 posts · 214 votes
13y
I agree with Uwe, most illegal Hispanic immigrants I have run across (landscapers, housekeepers, nannies) have been hard working, decent folks. I would rent to them over US born white trash any day.
Investor · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2013 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
12y
Initially, I used to pick up American day laborers on one corner, when I needed some unskilled labor. A year or so later, I found the gas station that the Latinos assembled and I started picking them.
It was the difference between night and day. The American day laborers were the 'bottom of the barrel' , because they were usually unemployable due to alcohol, drugs, mental illness, just plain attitude and that's why they were doing this. If I turned my back and left the jobsite, often they tried to prolong to make the 1-day mob into a 2-day job. Always pushing my boundaries, to see how much they'd get away with.
The Latinos worked hard. I could leave and come back 5 hours later and they were finished with the 1-day job and had started doing something else they saw needed doing. They left their home, family and friends to come to this country, without job, not knowing how they'll make it, but sure that they will. Those are the characteristics of an entrepreneur. So, we're really getting the cream of the crop of other countries - whether legal or not.
Real Estate Investor Downey , CA · Member since 2013 · 118 posts · 8 votes
12y
I was an immigrant for a lot of years, I was a professional in my country, came to USA for a better life, didn't speak the language, I work in a market picking up the "go backs" lol. At the bakery, etc. finally 10 years ago I received my legal documents been a Realtor for 7 years and on my way to get my Brokers license. You guys don't know what we go through while immigrants seriously.
Real Estate Investor · Abington, MA · Member since 2011 · 356 posts · 114 votes
12y
Wow interesting thread. I know hard working "Americans" and white ones too. I know all kinds of lazy people. I even know immigrants from places like the UK, Ireland, and Poland who are illegal. I know immigrants from those same places that are legal. I work with people from China, Korea, Russia, UK, Germany, Guatamala, Mexico, El Salvador, and America and many of my co-workers children are Americans. I think as a landlord you do your due diligence before leasing to anyone. You obey the laws and treat people like you want to be treated and 99% of the time it will work out.
Denver, CO · Member since 2013 · 409 posts · 105 votes
12y
I don't screen for whether someone is an illegal immigrant. Because I do not have to. Firstly my craigslist ads are pretty intimidating, so anyone will any 'issues' are usually discouraged from calling me in the first place. But should someone call on behalf of their friend/parents/whatever, I don't return their calls, they are usually a waste of time or the prospective tenant doesn't speak English. Which gets me to my main point, which is that I will not rent to anyone that does not speak English. I would be ok renting to an illegal immigrant that speaks English but not a U.S. Citizen that does not speak English.
To be in the U.S. without proper documentation is a civil offense - not a criminal one. Even though some people are trying really hard to will it be criminal.
There is an element of truth in this, but it is disingenuous with regard to the vast majority of illegal immigrant situations. Did you think we were too dim to discern the difference? Illegal immigrants can be divided into two categories. The far smaller category are those that entered the Country legally, but over stayed their Visas and are now in the County illegally, what you say about them being in the U.S. without proper documentation being a civil penalty is correct. The other, far larger category of illegal immigrants entered the U.S. illegally. Entering the County is a crime under Federal law, criminal penalties are outlined in Title 8 Section 1325 of the U.S. Code, "Improper Entry by Alien".