All Forum Posts by: Michael Smythe

In general, recommend you have VERY specific tasks for them to do.

Philippinos are very passive and won't be very creative in getting things done.

Also, there's many problems with electrical & internet outages, as well as not showing up for shifts due to mysterious "illnesses". The real reason is they often exhaust themselves trying to work the graveyard shift (currently 12 hour time difference their from our EST) while still raising their kids, etc.

@angelo lencioni

Squatters will be an ongoing problem in urban areas due to tenants thinking they are entitled to free housing and squatting when they are evicted.

You have to be really on top of this for vacant properties.

We give owners options to secure their vacant rentals in urban areas like Detroit:
1) Boardup - not very effective
2) Remove mechanicals so they can't be stolen and squatters have no heat or water
3) DAWGS - metal screens that are very difficult to get through

None of these are perfect and all have been defeated. Some companies use "Housesitters", which we no longer due after two negative occurrences: 
1) A housesitter let their family move in to squat
2) The housesitter let their friends steal the mechanicals they were supposed to protect
***ask yourself, what quality of person will spend the night in a property on a cot for $10-15/night?

DM us if you have any other questions.

That's why we don't accept credit card payments for MoveIn amounts and don't like to accept them for regular rent payments.

You will need to file small claims case, but even if you win, how will you collect?

Lawn & snow are an additional expense charged to owners

You made a mistake by calling it a "deposit", so you are usually required to refund it.

Next time call it a nonrefundable "Holding Fee". You can then credit it to 1st month's rent.

Check out Genesee real estate investors group via Google

How will you keep this positive?

Technically no. Anything you list for sale is required to go through the MLS.

A few agents skirt the law though.

@Frank Taormina not sure you're understanding what @Travis Biziorek is trying to tell you.

What's more likely happening is that the seller is trying to get rid of their WORST properties.

Usually, these would be the properties in the worst areas and/or need the most maintenance. 

As Travis also mentioned, just because this seller was able to find S8 tenants, doesn't mean you will. There are a LOT of Class D properties being sold in the City of Detroit where the landlords basically bribed S8 tenants to move in, so they could be sold as "turnkey S8 rentals" to unsuspecting OOS investors. Those investors will be shocked when the current S8 tenants move out and they can't easily be replaced before the furnace and HWH are stolen.

Do a LOT of investigating to make sure these are decent deals.

Tell the tenant you will let them out of their lease if they cooperate with showings to find a replacement tenant.