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
Nia Knowles:Westside West End Westview Atlanta REALTOR 