Get to know the community
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by Nia Knowles
- December 24, 2007
- Atlanta, Rambling
- 2 Comments
before you buy!!
Just a quick rant, brought on by this ad I saw on craigs list: ” Willard Avenue in Atlanta, 30310. This property has been rehabbed and is ready for someone to run a business out of it, be it assisted living, rooming house..”
(taking off my Realtor hat)
*sigh* First of all- do you know if the residents will want and need ANOTHER rooming house within this community? I live here, and I can say with confidence- WE DON’T!!!! Now, I’m all for helping people, but helping people is NOT the issue or objection. The bottom line, we have more than enough rooming houses and duplexes in this zip code. We have enough challenges without you coming in creating additional. Buy one already established and run it- don’t create a new one. I can direct you to a few for sale.
Frankly, I’m tired of seeing delusional amateur investors come within our community, buy up property, attempt to do crappy renovations (while ripping out all the original character the home had)then place the home on the market for some made-up ‘off the top of my head’ price (people must not do comps for the area) lose it to foreclosure and then the home sits vacant and get vandalized by squatters or other.. If you don’t know by now that this is NOT the market (and zip code) for amateurs to buy and flip in, then you really are in the wrong business. ATTENTION: YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BUY AND FLIP A HOME IN THIS MARKET AND ZIP CODE WITHIN THE AMOUNT OF TIME MOST HARD MONEY LENDERS GIVE YOU. – oh – P.S. STOP RIPPING OUT THE DETAILS OF THE HOME YOU FOOL! THESE DETAILS SELL HOMES!
I’m also tired of investors who do not live here, nor care about the community that rent the property to renters who befriend drug dealers, let dealers loiter around, and leave trash everywhere. Manage your property or hire property managers. Let the renters know what can and can not be done in a historic community. Check up on your home- is the outside in order? Or do they have an entire living room ensemble on the porch? Are they having a bar-b-q on the side walk? Are they hanging clothes to dry on the front porch? Do they have 5 satellite dishes taking over the front lawn? Is the hurbie curbie put away- or is it still in the street 3 days later? Are they throwing away carpet- did they call sanitation for a pickup? Do they know they need to call? MANAGE YOUR PROPERTY! If need be, factor landscape clean up into the rent too, and get it done- I don’t want your leaves from LAST winter blowing into my yard after I spent my day cleaning! I also do not need your dead tree limbs falling on my car!
What is wrong with you people? Do you think when you buy, you only impact yourself financially? Think again! If your property looks like crap next to mines, my value goes down…sorry, I have college educations to think about- I’m NOT having it.
We’re not taking it anymore in the West End and Westview community …so just a word of advice, although we want you here- come with good intentions. Be apart of the solution and not the problem. Come out to our meetings. Get to know the residents and your soon- to- be neighbors. Make sure this is the community for you- and your business plans. This will save all of us a lot of headaches- and spare my blog from more rants…. /rant
john
December 26, 2007 at 1:10 am
I agree. I am sick of all the vacant homes that were created by amateur investors. I am mad as hell at what I see every day when I walk my dog. Trash back on the street that you had cleaned up the prior day, renter’s furniture left on the front lawn when they get kicked out, renters parking their cars on the front lawn, when I walk by someone ,and say hello, they just look at me as though I am crazy, and letting homeless people squat in their vacant homes when they can not sell it. Stop ripping out all the old architectural features, do a quality renovation job and realize that your house, if not on a few streets in the west end , will not sell for 225k let alone 300+ at this time. The great thing now is that the neighborhood has alot more new residents that are concerned about their property values and are very active in keeping an eye on what is going on down the street let alone next door to them. I will have no problem reporting anyone to building code enforcement, the police or the housing authority.
It seems like every week I am meeting a new homeowner that has moved in and wants to get involved in making this area become one of the get living destinations in Atlanta.
Mary
December 26, 2007 at 2:59 pm
Our house is one that had a squatter in it for months and months – he had a full setup under the house, which included a refrigerator, several televisions, a bed, a dresser…you get the idea. I still can’t believe that the previous owner apparently (according to the squatter) *told* him to sit under the house, but unfortunately since it was a foreclosure, no one was there to take care of the place. We hope to change that! We’re also concerned about the entire house worth of furniture on the front lawn of the house next to ours…Juston’s coming back into town today and I’m going to have him check on it. Neighbors helping neighbors and keeping an eye on things…that’s what I’m looking forward to in the West End.