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Sometimes it's frustrating being in Real Estate

By Jeff R. Geoghan

Real Estate Agent with Coldwell Banker Realty

September 11, 2007 07:30 AM

Today I showed a pair of city homes to an investor client. He & I have been in some pretty bad places together. We're both pretty good at looking beyond various damages to see the potential in a home. Today, however, the two homes we looked at were just not worth redeeming.

It bugged me. I really wanted to have my guy buy them - to make them beautiful again. But they are just too far gone and the slumlord owner is asking too much, so that we know he'll never drop the price in a satisfactory manner. Well, I've been there before and we're able to just keep on looking...

...but this time we met some of the tenants. Let me tell you, they were living in conditions that were just above animal. The two "apartments" we visited were cramped, dirty, full of junk, with all manner of broken and worn-out parts. One unit held a little girl, who smiled as us as we toured the place. The mother pointed out the damaged ceiling where water pours in when the rain is heavy. She also claimed that the building was heavily infested with roaches - "more that I've ever seen" she commented. The property management company has not made a serious attempt to fix either issue. The landlord doesn't live here and obviously couldn't care less.

That's what made me want to tell my customer to just buy the homes and fix them up - save these people! I did make mention of my frustration, but some things we just can't fix. We got back in the car.

I'm contacting the property management company today, though, to make a comment about the condition of that building.

Sometimes it's frustrating, this business of ours.

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Bryant Tutas

Tutas Towne Realty, Inc and Garden Views Realty, LLC - Winter Garden, FL

Selling Florida one home at a time

Jeff, Maybe a call to the housing authority or health department would help. No one should have to live like that. But hey I have rented some of my rentals when they were in pristine condition and the tenants destroyed them. I have half a duplex empty right now. The tenant moved out 7 months ago. I went in had a look, locked the door and haven't been back. Totaly destroyed. And I had just rehabbed it before he moved in.

Sep 11, 2007 08:27 AM

Stephanie Edwards-Musa

thredUP.com - The Woodlands, TX

knitwit at thred UP

Hi Jeff, I agree with Bryant. I think it would help to call someone. That is so sad and just not right.

Sep 11, 2007 08:55 AM

Mana Tulberg

805 County Real Estate - Camarillo, CA

Real Estate Agent - Camarillo CA

Jeff, Who ever in fault I hope something is done for the little child's sake.

Sep 11, 2007 09:28 AM

William Johnson

Retired - La Jolla, CA

Retired

Hi JJeff,

When I first got into real estate 19 years ago, My broker wanted me to follow a guy that sold anything and everything. I was to learn from him. I saw more squaller and filth, and it almost made me want to quite before I started.

It makes one wonder why there is a large segment of our American population that would choose to live this way.

I heard them say, therelandlords won't fix this or that and that is one issue. But the filth and squaller comes from the people, and it is a choice ( or failure to make one). I can see lazy of not doing the laundry or keeping it up or occasionally not making the kitchen shine, but I swear they choose this lifestyle.

The question I ponder is about their self esteem or lack thereof. It is a sad statement is these times, or at any time to be sure.

Sep 11, 2007 09:35 AM

Caleb Mardini

Bellevue, WA

Wow there's a lot going on there. Somethings are overwhelming and unsettling. That is upsetting.

Sep 11, 2007 10:04 AM

Jeff R. Geoghan

Coldwell Banker Realty - Lancaster, PA

REALTOR, Marketing Manager

Fran - perhaps it makes me feel better - doesn't really help anything though.

Sep 11, 2007 10:18 AM

Jeff R. Geoghan

Coldwell Banker Realty - Lancaster, PA

REALTOR, Marketing Manager

Bryant, I sent an email to an acquaintance at the management company. If nothing comes of that I may contact the authority.

Sep 11, 2007 10:19 AM

Jeff R. Geoghan

Coldwell Banker Realty - Lancaster, PA

REALTOR, Marketing Manager

Steph - agreed. Will see what the management company does.

Sep 11, 2007 10:20 AM

Jeff R. Geoghan

Coldwell Banker Realty - Lancaster, PA

REALTOR, Marketing Manager

Mana - that's what bugs me - the kids don't know any better. I feel like taking my kids down there to see it. But you know what? They'd probably start playing anyway.

Sep 11, 2007 10:21 AM

Jeff R. Geoghan

Coldwell Banker Realty - Lancaster, PA

REALTOR, Marketing Manager

William - your self-esteem point is well-taken, but a tenant has a right to expect service when they are paying rent. Leaking ceilings and hordes of roaches can be corrected. I could understand it if the management company was treating the building monthly but the tenants were so filthy that nothing worked...but that's not what was described to me and what I saw there. Same goes for the patched ceilings. The disarray of the units may be the fault of the tenants - no question. But conscientious managers can make a difference.

Sep 11, 2007 10:24 AM

Jeff R. Geoghan

Coldwell Banker Realty - Lancaster, PA

REALTOR, Marketing Manager

Caleb - I agree - it's unsettling. Sometimes we forget that RE isn't all million-dollar clifftop homes, eh? I'm getting more interested in community development as it brings even the lowest homes up from the gutter.

Sep 11, 2007 10:26 AM

Fran Gaspari

Patriot Land Transfer, Inc. - Limerick, PA

"The Title Man" - Title Insurance - PA & NJ

Jeff,

There seems to be a pendulum of emotion here. Maybe the landlord should be ignored and the tenants can be helped to find a cleaner place. Thanks, Fran

Sep 11, 2007 10:38 AM

Jeff R. Geoghan

Coldwell Banker Realty - Lancaster, PA

REALTOR, Marketing Manager

I don't know, Fran. I think that sometimes it's just frustrating being in Real Estate! No clean answers.

Sep 11, 2007 03:10 PM

Todd Clark - Retired

eXp Realty LLC - Tigard, OR

Principle Broker Oregon

That is a shame and maybe send a heads up to the news rooms in the area. They love stories like this, we had a similar situation here and he was forced by law to clean it up after a news crew showed up!

Sep 11, 2007 05:39 PM

Katerina Gasset

The Gasset Group & Get It Done For Me Virtual Services - Provo, UT

Amplify Your Real Estate & Life Dreams!

Jeff- Yes, I feel bad as well when I see things like this. However I must agree with William. It is hard to accept the reality that it is still a choice. IF the landlord does not fix things, the choice is you can move out. There is always a choice. What we can do is to reach out to people in need and teach them to make different choices. I have seem mighty change when a person accepts responsibility for their own life and actions and circumstances. It is the toughest thing to do but yet the most empowering. This type of living is perpetuated through generations of families until someone decides to break the cycle. Katerina

Sep 12, 2007 06:14 PM

Keith Perry

Coldwell Banker - Hiram, GA

REALTOR - West Metro Atlanta

Yes I think Todd hit the answer, call the local news guy.

Sep 12, 2007 10:41 PM

Jeff R. Geoghan

Coldwell Banker Realty - Lancaster, PA

REALTOR, Marketing Manager

I don't agree, Katerina. When you pay a cell phone company, you have a right to expect quality and service. The same applies to tenancy. So you sign a lease, then find that problems are not addressed and get worse. You can't just move out - and what's the point for the owner to rent anyway? Doesn't he want his asset to appreciate? Even if the owner is not approving repairs requested by the PM company (assuming they're asking) then why would the PM not say something? Too many people don't care enough - whatever the tenant's disposition. Bugs and water leaks in the house are asset issues, not poor tenant issues.

Sep 13, 2007 02:46 AM

Brian Schulman

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Lancaster PA - Lancaster, PA

Lancaster County PA RealEstate Expert 717-951-5552

I agree that landlords need to keep a modicum of maintainance standards, certainly working heat and roofs that don't leak. However, I've seen tenants wreck perfectly good houses and apartments time and time again. In the worst cases, often drugs or alcohol are involved.

Sep 14, 2007 01:25 AM

Jeff R. Geoghan

Coldwell Banker Realty - Lancaster, PA

REALTOR, Marketing Manager

It's a tension, to be sure. I guess I look at it more from the customer service side of things - it's my training.

Sep 14, 2007 03:44 AM

Jeannie Kontis

Lancaster, PA

Jeff, I've seen the same kinds of houses from time to time. I agree that some tenants have no respect for the property and live in filthy conditions, and would destroy the dwelling no matter where they lived. But I believe it is the moral duty of the landlord to keep the property in habitable condition as well. There is no reason for rainwater to pour into their dwelling. There is no reason for roaches to overpopulate the building. I agree all of those things, and more, can be dealt with and not break the landlords bank. Clearly these are tenants who are below the poverty line, it's not so easy for them to just pick up their lives and find housing elsewhere. There is a big economic divide between those landlords, and the tenants they feel deserve to live like this simply because of their economic status.

I hope you get some sort of answer from the management company, although there is not much they can do about it without the landlord's permission. The landlord is their client, not the tenant. You should pick up the phone and call the housing authority. I wouldn't be surprised if those tenants are Section8 tenants, and those dwellings would need to meet a certain criteria to continue accepting Section8.

Sep 17, 2007 12:01 AM