🥶Vacant Home was Occupied

By
Real Estate Agent with Arizona Focus Realty SA634540000

😏Vacant Home was Occupied


 ☀️For ALL of Your East Valley AZ Real Estate Needs

📞Call or 🙋‍♂Text Brian at 480-773-2370

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Anyone that has been in real estate for a while has likely been presented with many situations that could get them in a lot of trouble, whether it be physically, mentally, or otherwise.  This challenge for March should be fairly easy for anyone who is not brand new to the real estate industry and I am happy that I am seeing a lot of participation.

 

The last scenario that I figured I would share was back in the days when short sales and foreclosures were prevalent.  I was out with buyers that were also close friends.  Inside one of the homes, I was off with the husband in the kitchen while the wife was exploring on her own, as she would always do.  I heard her say "oh, hello" and the way she said it I thought she found something interesting in one of the rooms.  She did indeed find something interesting but it was not at all what I expected, haha.  As I was going to see what she had found a stranger walked by me and out the front door.  She came out and said that the guy was in the bathroom, not using it, just hiding, haha.  Apparently, someone that might have been homeless was using the home since he knew that it was vacant.  Luckily, all ended well, but that certainly was a scary situation at the time.  I immediately called the listing agent and she was shocked but not surprised.  She said that she would have the locks changed and the home secured to hopefully prevent this from happening again.  We continued on with our day of seeing homes, but from then on out I led the way through the homes and made sure they were free and clear before we entered them, haha.

 

I look forward to reading all of the other posts entered into this challenge and hearing the crazy things that others have come upon during their careers in real estate.

 


I specialize in the East Valley of the Phoenix Metro area - Gilbert, Mesa, Chandler, Tempe, Scottsdale, Apache Junction, and Gold Canyon


☀️For ALL of Your East Valley AZ Real Estate Needs

📞Call or 🙋‍♂Text Brian at 480-773-2370

📨Email Brian  ~  Search the MLS for FREE

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Comments (33)

Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Los Angeles Pasadena 818.516.4393

Hello Brian - anytime spent in real estate can reveal all sorts of behavior.  Much of it perhaps previously thought of as unthinkable.  Oh, the possibilities. . .   

Mar 16, 2023 08:33 AM
Will Hamm
Hamm Homes - Aurora, CO
"Where There's a Will, There's a Way!"

Hello Brian, I had this happen twice over the years to me and had to call the agent and tell them.

 

Mar 16, 2023 08:35 AM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Thank you very much, Brian, for sharing this story.

Have a great day and a very productive week.

Mar 16, 2023 08:40 AM
Brian England
Arizona Focus Realty - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

That is scary Ray Henson and I am glad that they missed with the pepper spray.  I am also glad that the guy in my story didn't try to do anything to cause harm to us.

Mar 16, 2023 09:25 AM
Brian England
Arizona Focus Realty - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

Oh, yes Michael Jacobs spending time in real estate will open someone's eyes to a lot of crazy things, haha.

Mar 16, 2023 09:26 AM
Brian England
Arizona Focus Realty - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

I hope that in those instances it was peaceful and nobody was harmed Will Hamm, it certainly is a scary situation.

Mar 16, 2023 09:27 AM
Lise Howe
Keller Williams Capital Properties - Washington, DC
Assoc. Broker in DC, MD, VA and attorney in DC

this is pretty frightening and I am glad it ended up fine... sounds like this particular person wasn't dangerous but of course you don't know that just bumping into someone who isn't supposed to be there 

Mar 16, 2023 09:31 AM
Brian England
Arizona Focus Realty - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

I am glad that they were not dangerous Lise Howe and it left me a bit sad to know that someone was just trying to find a place to stay warm because they had no place to live.

Mar 16, 2023 09:33 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Brian- what a scary thing to happen and thankfully nothing did happen!! There were a few times when I was on my own when viewing a vacant home before providing a proposal for staging. I'll never forget one...on a huge lot so no neighbors immediately nearby and it must have been 5000 square feet. I dreaded going upstairs but had to. I was so happy to take my photos and get out of there. 

Mar 16, 2023 11:36 AM
George Souto
George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages - Middletown, CT
Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert

Brian in a time where there are countless homeless people, I am surprised we do not hear about more situations like this.

Mar 16, 2023 12:06 PM
Jane Chaulklin-Schott
TEAMCONNECT REALTY - (407) 394-9766 - Orlando, FL
TeamConnect Luxury Homes - Orlando, Florida, 32836

Hi Brian England.  We were a family, 6  Realtors who relocated down here to Orlando, Fl. from a northern, mid-west state.  Our first broker- CENTURY 21 -had general meetings that emphasized the legal and personal dangers in the field of Real Estate.  Witness your post which could have been tragic.  

Mar 16, 2023 02:56 PM
Brian England
Arizona Focus Realty - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

I can understand that being a scary situation Kathy Streib, especially when you are all alone.  I get startled easily when I am all alone and I hear a noise, haha.

Mar 16, 2023 04:43 PM
Brian England
Arizona Focus Realty - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

Well, it was during the time of foreclosures George Souto so people knew that there were a lot of vacant homes.  It seems that there are fewer vacant homes these days.

Mar 16, 2023 04:45 PM
Brian England
Arizona Focus Realty - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

I remember during my training in 2010 Jane Chaulklin-Schott they talked a lot about safety and had additional classes we could enroll in but I never took a safety class.

Mar 16, 2023 04:47 PM
Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist
KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA
Probate Real Estate

Hello, Brian England unfortunately that kind of "occupancy" happened a lot in my area. It did not happen with me yet I know it did with many others in my market. 

Thank you for your third entry in the March Challenge. 

Mar 16, 2023 08:55 PM
Endre Barath, Jr.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Beverly Hills, CA
Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002

Brian this is strange I just commented but the message did not stick now with that said I recall many similar stories during the great real estate crash of 2007/08 in my market, glad it went relatively well for you, Endre

Mar 16, 2023 10:37 PM
Brian England
Arizona Focus Realty - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

I am glad to hear that you didn't experience anything similar Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist and I hope that you never will.

Mar 17, 2023 03:51 AM
Brian England
Arizona Focus Realty - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

The gremlins are quite active in the Rain right now Endre Barath, Jr. so I suspect they did something foul with your original comment, haha.

Mar 17, 2023 03:52 AM
Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543
Long & Foster Real Estate Inc 610-225-7400 - Devon, PA
Selling the Main Line & Chester County

Always a little disconcerting to find someone in the house when not expected.

 

Mar 20, 2023 12:51 PM
Brian England
Arizona Focus Realty - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

Yes, it was indeed Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543 and I am glad that it was not a dangerous situation.

Mar 20, 2023 01:03 PM