SMARTERLANDLORDING

ADVICE FROM EXPERIENCE

The Business of Landlording

We Allow Pets, Just Not All Of Them

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I have written before on pets.  Pets to me are a money maker.  Plus, a lot of folks have a pet.  If you do not allow them, you cut out a large part of the market and a decent income stream.  So we allow pets, just not all of them.   There are certain pet types and breeds that are against the rules.

Pets That Are Not Allowed

Certain Dog Breeds – Sorry Pit Bull and Doberman lovers, these and other large dog breeds are not allowed.  They have been shown to have aggressive traits which along with their size make them a no go.  It is not just us, our insurance is the main problem. They require that we not allow them.  Yes, I have met many “nice” large dogs and hate to paint with the broad brush but that is just the way it is.

Large Animals – We do not allow any animals over 20 pounds.  Many of our properties are smaller and not the proper place for a larger animal.  Plus, larger animals are just going to cause more wear and tear and be potentially upsetting to other tenants.  So I’m sorry but if you have a shaggy sheep dog, you cannot rent from us.

More Than Two – Have you ever been in the “cat lady’s” house?  Sure you have.  You have smelled the result of having too many cats.   I do not want that smell coming into my property.  It is simply too hard to get rid of.  The best way to eliminate that concern is to just limit the number of pets a tenant can have.

Odd or “Creepy” Pets – A cat or a small dog is fine, but we do not allow anything else.  That includes reptiles, rodents, insects or other mammals.  We actually say in our lease, “Nothing we deem creepy.”  Sorry folks, you will have to go elsewhere with your snake, rabbit, mice, hissing cock roaches (gross!) or ferret.  I’m sure they make lovely pets, just not in our property.

No Dogs In Our Multi-Family Buildings – Dogs bark.  It is what they do.  They may bark when people are leaving.  They may bark when people are coming home.  They may bark at any type of noise or movement.  That bark and annoys the other tenants.  Barking dogs have caused us so many problems and phone calls in the past that we just no longer allow them in our multi-family units.

Enforcing The Rules

You can also make similar rules for your rental properties.  If you do, you are going to have to work a bit to enforce them.  Tenants will often try to push the limits with you or cover up what type of pet they really have.  How?

They will say they only have two cats when they really have four.

They will say their pit bull is a “mixed breed.”

They will flat out lie and say they have no pets.

We try to catch these issues early on in one of two ways.  First, we will conduct an inspection upon move in or soon thereafter.  It is usually obvious if they have a pet or have more than they said.

Second, we always have to “meet” the dog.   We want to verify the breed and the size.  We “trust but verify.”  Plus, when you state that you are going to have to meet the animal, many of your potential pet problems will suddenly go away.   It is amazing how many people with “mixed breeds” never call back.

Allowing pets can be a great way to improve your potential tenant base and income stream.  But, just allowing all pets can be problematic.  So, you should develop some rules on what you will and will not allow.  Hopefully this post will help guide you towards doing just that.

Potential Tenants Only Remember Two Properties

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At the end of a long day, after looking at perhaps dozens of properties, potential tenants only remember two properties.  One is the dirtiest and the other is the cleanest.  Everything else will fall somewhere in between and be lost in the haze.  The moral of the story is obvious.  Keep it clean!  But what is the best way to do that with limited budgets and resources?

Start With Your Current Tenants

Being clean is not that hard, it just takes a bit of effort and focus.

It starts with the effort you make with your current tenants.  A well maintained property will stand out.  Plus it is often a lot easier to keep something clean that to make it clean.   So you have to repair things as needed.  You also need to conduct regular inspections to make sure trash is not piling up and the walls have not been painted purple.  Staying on top of these issues will make being the cleanest much, much easier.

Get Your Tenant To Help

You also have to get your tenant to help you keep clean when they tell you they are moving out.  You do this by sending them a list of things they need to do before they move out.  A list that notes all of the things that must happen for the tenant to get their security deposit back.  This list includes:

  • Taking every fork, spoon, and Taco Bell sauce packet with them.
  • Taking every wire hanger with them.
  • Removing every piece of furniture, no matter how small.
  • Replacing every burned out light bulb.
  • Leaving the property wiped down and broom swept clean.

All of the above and more, if not followed, will result in a deduction from a tenant’s security deposit.  This is clearly states as our goal is to repossess our property in much the same way we rented it out, minus normal wear and tear.  And by staying on top of repairs, inspections and the move out process, we go a long way towards that goal.

What About Normal Wear And Tear?  What To Focus On

No matter how perfect your tenant was, normal wear and tear happens.  Things will look worn and need updating.  But with limited funds we often cannot fix everything.  So where should you focus your efforts?

  1. The Bathroom – Nothing is going to turn a potential tenant off more than a dirty bathroom. If you absolutely need to rehab or upgrade someplace, do it here.  New tile, caulk, grout and paint will yield your biggest returns.  And for the love of all that is good do not leave a toilet brush or plunger in the corner!  No one wants somebody else’s “stuff” in their bathroom.
  2. The Kitchen – After the bathroom, this room will give you’re the biggest bang for your rehab buck. Get rid of the grease.  Wipe down the insides of the cabinets and drawers. Make sure the stove and fridge are clean.  Spilled spices, grease spots and old ketchup packets make a place look dirty.  Be sure to look everywhere and get everything.
  3. Knobs and Handles – Make sure all of your knobs and handles are tight and in working order. Why?  Because once your tenant moves out, there will not be anything else to see, touch or play with when you are showing the property.  Your potential tenants are therefore going to touch every door knob, drawer and cabinet.  Loose knobs and handles will subliminally impart a junky message so take some time to tighten things up.
  4. The Smell – Smells can create powerful and emotional responses in people. Bad smells will of course elicit a bad response.  Make sure your place smells great.  A few plug in air fresheners, but not too many, go a long way.  Light lavender is perhaps the best.  Also be sure to run all faucets every so often as stagnant water in drains leads to foul orders.
  5. Anything Else Obvious – Hopefully your tenants left your property in great condition. But magic erasers and other tricks can only do so much. It may also just be time for a fresh look.  Use cool neutral colors everywhere.  Grays are in right now, but I like softer, yellow-whites as they seem to appeal to more people and stand the test of time.

If you want to get the best tenants and get them paying top dollar you are going to have to create a lasting first impression in their mind.  As I said, they are going to remember the dirtiest and the cleanest.  You only get one chance to make a good first impression, make sure it is the right one.

Use For Rent Signs To Find The Best Tenants

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I’ll bet that a lot of you, like me, gave up using “For Rent” signs a long time ago.  These signs were once the way to go and a major way to attract the attention of people looking for a place to live.  Signs however also attracted a lot of unwanted attention, mostly in the form of phone calls.  The calls from those who were just looking or who could never qualify were a huge time waster and distraction.

Because of this unwanted attention and the explosion of digital advertising over the past few years, our “For Rent” signs have been confined to the storage shed.  I thought for sure that the use of these signs would eventually be a thing of the past.  That is until I talked to a colleague the other day.  He uses “For Rent” signs to find the best tenants almost exclusively.   He has great success without all of the phone calls.

Why Is He Still Using Signs?

My colleague still uses signs because he understands that tenant turnover is a cashflow killer.  Thus, he seeks tenants for the long term.  Tenants who really want to live in that particular neighborhood.  Tenants who perhaps want their kids to go to the neighborhood school or maybe have family in the area.

To him, there is no better way to find these folks than to attract the people specifically driving around the neighborhood looking for a place to live.  Think about it.  He has in effect begun to screen his potential tenants just with his method of advertising.  First, they must be somewhat serious about a place to live or they would not be looking around.  Second, they already know the neighborhood and are thus likely familiar with the rental characteristics of that neighborhood.  Finally, they can’t find his property in any other way than by driving around and looking where they want to live.

What About The Phone Calls?

What about all of the phone calls and the wasted time dealing with them?

He has a strategy for those as well.

He does not put any contact information on his signs.  Instead, he points folks to a flyer located by the front door of the property.  That flyer, taped behind the glass of a window so it cannot be removed, contains his contact information along with the three things everyone wants to know; the rent, the number of bedrooms and number of baths.

This strategy stops nearly all of those unwanted calls and it furthers his tenant screening process.  Again, think about what he is making people do.  The prospective tenant first has to drive and find the property, then stop and get out of the car, walk up and get the information and determine if the property is right for them.  If, after doing all of that they still make a phone call then they must really want to live there and think the property will fit their needs.

Brilliant!

Once he gets that phone call, he knows that he likely has a very good prospect on his hands that will not waste his time.

Will this strategy work everywhere for every property?  Maybe not.   But the strategy comes with years of experience and lots of trial and error behind it.  It works for him and it might just work for you too.  That is why I share it.

Sometimes, even with all of the modern technology we have, the old techniques can still work the best.  Perhaps I should think about dusting off those “For Rent” signs in the shed.

How do you advertise these days and why?  Have any unique or interesting techniques that work for you? Please share with your comments.

Setting Tenant Expectations

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Think back to the first day of any class you took while in school.  What did the teacher do?  Most likely he or she went over what the course would cover and what you needed to do to earn a passing grade.  In other words, the teacher set student expectations.  Landlords should do the very same thing with tenants.  Setting tenant expectations on day one is a must.

Setting out tenant expectations is one of the keys to getting the landlord tenant relationship started off on the right foot.  It must be done clearly and it must be done at the very beginning.  If not, you will essentially be leaving things open to interpretation.  Leaving things open top interpretation will lead to confusion and conflict.  Confusion and conflict is not something you want in your business.

What are expectations?  They can be varied and many.   They should be based on your unique management and business style.  At the very least, I would suggest some form of the following:

  • An expectation of when the rent is due
  • An expectation of how your property must be treated.
  • An expectation of how you (and your staff) must be treated.
  • An expectation of how the tenant will be treated.

Tell Them Your Expectations

Setting out your expectations is simple.  You tell your tenants what they are.

You do this during a portion of your lease signing meeting.  It is as important as going over the lease itself.  It is at this time that you can define the landlord/tenant relationship, remove uncertainty and stress how the next year is going to go.   Sit across the table and tell them:

  • That the rent is due on the first of the month.
  • That eviction will be filed if rent is not paid.
  • The difference between normal wear and tear and tenant damage.
  • How an emergency is defined.
  • How repairs will be handled.
  • How tenants can get their security deposit back.
  • That communication is the key to any successful relationship.
  • That they will be left alone if they meet your expectations.

Do Not Assume

How do you tell them these things?  That is of course up to you.  But I would caution you that you should not assume anything.  Do not assume that they know that they cannot call in a repair at 5 PM on Friday afternoon and expect the problem resolved that evening.  Do not assume that they know that no matter what life throws at them, the rent is still due on the first.  Do not assume that they know what clean means.  Do not assume that they will take all of their stuff with them when they move out.

The above may sound a bit silly and you might be thinking that these things should not have to be explained.  While those two statements may be true, I am here to tell you that they do need to be explained.  You cannot assume that your tenant knows or understands anything.

Expectations Work

Setting expectations works.  You passed most of your classes in school right?  You knew what you had to do because your teacher laid it out for you.  Your tenants can have the same experience.  By setting expectations, you can get the majority of your tenants pay their rent in full and on time.  You can get them to communicate with you if there is a problem.  You can get many of your properties back almost in as good of shape as you provided them to the tenant.  You just need to spell everything out on the front end.  You need to tell them how to earn the passing grade.

Setting expectations just makes sense.  Yes, it takes a little time and effort on your part, but it is good business and good for both you and your tenants.  Take some time to put your expectations into words and then share those words with your tenants.  Every time and on day one.

What expectations do you discuss with your tenants, please share with your comments.

Landlords! Use House Rules

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Every landlord, well almost every landlord, knows they need a written lease.  What they may not be aware of is that they need a set of house rules as well.  House rules do just what their title suggests.  They set out the rules for living in my house and every landlord should have a set of their own house rules.

We have our house rules set up so they are an addendum to our lease.  In that way, they have full legal force and effect, just like the lease proper.  Break my house rules and you are breaking the terms of our lease, which could very well result in eviction.

Our house rules are usually about a page long and contain all manner of things.  Some you would think need not be explained, such as taking your trash out every week or paying your rent on time.  Other rules are set by our own design and experiences, like our no smoking inside rule because of that time a tenant caught our house on fire by smoking.  Still others are general “catch alls” such as telling everyone to be quiet after 10 PM.

You can design your house rules however you like them (within legal bounds of course), because after all, it is your house.

Three Reasons To Use A Set Of House Rules

You could of course put everything in your lease, but we like to use a separate set house rules for three main reasons.

First, because the house rules are listed in a separate document, the stand out and can be emphasized.  It is easier to specifically point to the document and say, “These are the rules that you must follow to live here.”  Your prospective tenants will have an easier time focusing on and understanding the rules because they are a separate document.

Second, house rules can be tailored to each house or property.  This aspect is helpful since each property is different and thus has different rules.  Some have balconies (do not grill on them), some do not.  Others have yards to keep up with (cut the grass) while others do not.  Some have common areas (don’t put your stuff here), some have shared parking and on and on and on.  Could you have a lease for each property?  I guess so, but I find that using a tailored house rule document attached to our standard lease is just easier.

Third, a house rules document is easier for everyone to understand.  A lease often has to contain legal words and phrases.  These words and phrases may not always have a clear meaning to someone who is not familiar with them.  House rules however can get right to the point, in clear language.  For example, here are a few rules we use.

  • You will not disconnect the smoke detector and you will replace the batteries in the smoke detector as needed.
  • Do not light candles or fires in the rental unit.
  • Don’t wait until Friday at 6pm to tell us your need a repair, because it won’t be done until the next week.

These rules are simply stated and straightforward.  They are not full of legalese and everyone can understand what they mean.

Make Sure Your Tenant Understands The House Rules

During the lease signing process, we read every word of our lease and house rules to the tenant.  Every word!  Sometimes that goes quickly.  Sometimes it takes a while as questions are raised and stories are told.  I cannot tell you how many times someone will say “You really had a tenant do that?”  Yes, that is why it is in the rules that I am reading to you now.

Then, upon signing, documents are scanned and copies e-mailed to the tenants.  In this way, when they break the rules (and they will), they cannot say they were not aware of the rules or did not have a copy.  You can point towards the lease signing process along with the e-mail and when it was delivered.

Most Tenants Follow The House Rules

Most of your tenants will follow your house rules.  They understand the need for them and why they are there.  Some will push the limits for sure, but you need to decide how much of a cop you want to be.  How much time you want to spend playing cop, judge and jury is up to you and your particular situation.  In any event, having a set of house rules will make your landlording life a bit easier.

What are in your house rules?  Got an interesting story about why that rule is there?  Please share with your comments.

 

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Why Are Landlords So Jaded?

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Landlords are a unique bunch.  The business is like no other.  It gives landlords a perspective, an often jaded perspective that very few others hold.  Why?  Because, we learn to wear many different hats as we strike out on our landlording journey and we see into people’s lives a lot more than most.  These two things, the doing and seeing, are going to mold our perspective.  But I think it is the seeing which affects a landlord more than anything.

Landlords see what humanity is made of.  Not the façade that is put on for the public, but the reality of people’s everyday lives.  How do we do this?  We do it by getting involved in a person’s most private space, their home.  Most of the stuff we see is normal and everyday run of the mill.  Sometimes it is interesting.  Sometimes it is humorous.  Other times though, it is heartbreaking, infuriating and can be downright scary.  It is always however an eye opening experience to witness how people truly live.

Two integral parts of the landlording business are screening tenants and providing homes.  Each part brings its own eye opening experiences.  Screening means background checks.  It means credit reports. It means criminal records. It means talking to bosses and past landlords.  It means asking a lot of questions and investigating past lives.  Thus:

We see the unpaid bills.

We see the bankruptcies.

We see the evictions.

We see the bust because they only had a joint.

We see the DWIs.

We see the jail time because of…well…a lot of different things.

And that is just for starters.  That is only when they apply to live in one of our properties.  If they make it through the screening and decide to move in, that is when we landlords really begin to see things because we now provide a home.

Providing a home means doing maintenance and upkeep.  It means doing property inspections.  It means going inside someone’s personal space every once in a while.  Not unannounced and just to be nosy.  Going in is just part of the landlording business.

By going in:

We see the heaps of dirty clothes and dirty dishes.

We see the neat freaks too (thank you!).

We see the disorder, the chaos, the hoarding.

We see that the shower has not been used in a while.

We see the piled up, empty alcohol containers.

We see the bongs (put that away!).

We see the bondage equipment (put that away too!).

We see the pet snake.

We see that someone we do not know is living there.

We see you broke the house rules and painted the walls purple even though we told you not to.

We also unfortunately see the divorces, the layoffs, the overdoses and the cancer diagnoses.

We see all of this and sometimes wonder why we ever decided to become landlords.  But then we realize that this is humanity.  Everyone, and I mean everyone, has some kind of quirk.  Everyone also has a past.  It is just who we are.  We landlords see a lot and it is no wonder we become a little jaded at times.

Does this mean you should not become one?  Of course not as most tenants are great and the rewards outweigh the negatives.  But becoming a landlord will be an eye opening experience.  You will develop a thicker skin and a different viewpoint on the world than you had before.  Just ask any landlord.

The thing to remember is that landlording is like any other business.  You have to put food on your table and provide for your family.  And while it is not a good idea to kick someone when they are down, you cannot run a social service agency either.  Often the best a landlord can do is to try to keep the worst of it out with thorough tenant screening.  But you still have to rent to someone and everyone has some kind of quirk.  Sometimes these quirks result in an angry letter from us.  Sometimes they lead to eviction.  A lot of times, you have to just let folks live.

What have you seen?  Please share with your comments.

The SmarterLandlording Podcast – Landlords and Lawsuits

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Episode 9 of the Smarter Landlording Podcast focuses on something every landlord fears, lawsuits.  In this episode, I sit down again with attorney Joe Kirkland to delve into this interesting and sometimes troubling aspect of the landlording business.   Want to understand what getting sued can mean?  Then this episode is for you.

Links We Mentioned

The Self Directed IRA Handbook – Also see below.

21 Tenant Red Flags – Scroll down to the end of these show notes and subscribe to get the free report.

Memphis Investors Group – The Memphis Investors Group (MIG) is the local REIA club here in Memphis.  MIG has been very valuable to Joe and I over the years and we are both past presidents.  It is where I met people like Joe and where I am able to learn, share ideas, make deals and commiserate with other investors.  If you are here in Memphis, look us up.  If not, check for a club in your area.

Joe’s contact info – Closetrak Title – 901-333-1260  Joe@Closetrak.com

 

 

Like the Intro Music?  Check out my good friends in the band Kitchens and Bathrooms (Kind of fits right!).  They write and play some awesome, original music from right here in Memphis, TN.

 

Tall Grass Can Lead To Tall Dollars

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Spring has sprung here in Memphis.  Everything is green again, especially the grass.  After sitting dormant all winter, lawnmowers and weed eaters can be heard everywhere, well almost everywhere.  Some properties became vacant this winter, and now that the grass is green, growing and tall again, we can easily see that.

Why were they left vacant?  Who knows?  Why do I care?  Because I do know that a vacant property can lead to a potential deal and that tall grass is often a sign of a vacant property.  So it makes sense to take note of properties with tall grass, as there could be dollars hiding in those weeds.  Just today I went to look at a property that popped up on the MLS and while driving to and from that property I counted and wrote down the addresses of five others to check out.  All because it is spring and the grass is now growing.

This technique, called driving for dollars, is one of my favorites for finding properties.  Even with all of the technology that exists today (I use that too), physically looking around still gets results.  It’s cheap too!  All it takes is driving around an area you wish to farm and looking for signs that a property is in distress such as tall, uncut grass.  If you see signs of distress, make a note to yourself and check the property ownership details later.  It may be worth sending the owner a letter and that letter may just turn into your next real estate project.

I like to drive around areas close to where I live.  But you do not have too and you do not even have to be specifically driving around for dollars.  For example, I found one property just because I was going back and forth to the grocery store.  I found another because it was down the street from one of my other properties.  And, as I said above, I found five to check out just by going to look at another listed property.

So open your eyes as your run your errands.  Look for the tall grass and other signs of distress.  It may just net you a nice deal.

Found any great properties driving for dollars?  What do you look for when driving around?  Please share with your comments.

Calling It A Boom

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I came across the following headlines today:

“It’s time to stop calling this a recovery, and start calling it a boom,” writes Noah Smith for Bloomberg.

And this:

“Thirty-five percent of homebuyers in the U.S. aren’t even visiting the property before they put in a bid, amid torrid competition in a tight market, according to the latest survey by Redfin Corp.”

Both headlines got me thinking about an experience I had yesterday here in Memphis.

I went to look at a foreclosure being offered for sale that needs a significant amount of work.   For the 45 minutes that I was there, three other folks along with their realtors came to look at at it.  Can you say buying frenzy?

Is it even worth the bother to make an offer?  We will see.

If you are thinking about selling, now is the time.

But hurry, before the boom bursts.

Any of you out there seeing the same in your area?  Let me know with your comments.

 

Real Estate Scams

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The internet makes everything we real estate investors do so much easier.  Unfortunately, the internet also makes it easier for real estate scams.   One such scam was recently tried with one of my properties.  To understand what happened and see the scam for yourself, keep reading.

It Began With The Ad For Our Property

We, like most other investors now days, advertise our properties on various websites like Craigslist, Backpage, Zillow or Realtor.com.  Hardly anyone drives around and looks for signs or reads ads in the newspaper anymore.  Instead, everyone wanting to rent or buy is looking online.

We recently rehabbed a home for the retail market which was being advertised for sale on many of the websites mentioned above.  Our ad had a full description of the property, along with plenty of pictures and our contact info.

The Scam

Here is what the scammer did.  He or she copied our pictures and created a new ad.  This new ad offered the property for rent (not for sale) at a price way below the market.  This low price surely had the scammer’s phone buzzing.  Once the scammer was in contact with a potential victim, they offered a long explanation of who they (the supposed owners) were and why they were renting the property.

Take a look for yourself:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It continues:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The scammer wove a pretty good story right?

Thing is, it is all likely false. Except for the address and property details, as far as I know, the rest is all made up.   The hook is the low rent and security deposit required.  It is about half of what the actual charges would be.  The scammer hopes your greed will get the better of you and that you will send them the money (Before it is too late!).

Red Flags Everywhere

The story above is however full of red flags.  There are several things that should make anyone cautious and think twice.  Here is what caught my eye:

  • The Long Backstory

Why does this person have to go into so much detail about why they are renting the house?  Who cares?  I just want a house to rent I do not need to know your life history.

The backstory however is designed to reel you in, to make you feel comfortable and to build TRUST.  You can trust me because I’m a missionary.  You can trust me because I’m doing good in the world.  You can trust me because I’m married.  You can trust me because I’m a family man.  You can trust me because I have a 27 year old daughter named Leslie who is smart, which makes me older and wise.

Do not trust anyone or anything in any ad on the internet without verifying it first.

  • The Appeal For Help

The scammer sets up the scenario well.  They will be away.  They will be away from their family.  They will be away doing good deeds.  But they have a problem, a problem YOU can help with.  You are a good person right?  You are clean and neat right?  You are the perfect solution to their problem.  You can help them.  You may even want to help them.

This is all a play on your emotions.  Don’t fall for it.

  • The Language

The whole ad when taken together just sounds off.  This is because the scammer is likely a non US English speaker.  They may have even used Google translate to create the ad.   There are words and phrases that we just do not normally use here in the United States such as “medical practitioner” or “too much of an agent fee.”    Being a non US English speaker is not necessarily a bad thing.  But, a lot of these scammers are not in the US and thus do not have our language down pat.

Use caution if an ad does not sound quite right.

  • The Mean Realtor

The implication in the scammer’s narrative is that the realtor is greedy and trying to hurt good people who just want a nice house to rent.  They are trying to get you to believe that they hate the realtor and you should too.  They say this so you will just ignore those realtor signs in the yard and not call those numbers on the sign.  The scammer wants you to think they are going to take care of that greedy realtor and that you will get a better deal by not having to pay her.

Wrong.

Again this is an appeal to your emotions and an attempt not to get you to call the number on the sign in the yard.  Because if you do, the scam is finished.

  • The Price

The price of the rent is just too good to be true.  As I said it is about half of the going market rent.  That is the hook to get you in.  Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Did The Scam Work?

No, the prospective tenant was smart enough to pick up on a number of these red flags.  She actually did call the number on the sign and talked to my wife who told her what was really going on.  We got the ad removed quickly and that was that, at least this time.  But this person was wise and tried to verify.  Many others would have fallen for this story or the scammers would not do it.  They would have been blinded by the “good deal.”  They would also be $1,450 poorer.

How Can Investors Fight These Scams?

The best way we have found is to watermark all of your pictures that you use to place in ads on the internet.  Watermark them with your company name and phone number.  This small task will stop most scammers in their tracks because what they say in their scam will not add up to what is seen on the picture.  Some sites however may not let you use watermarked pictures, so these efforts could be limited.

Another thing investors can do is “Google search” their properties every once in a while to see what comes up.  Search by address.  These scam ads may appear and you can then take action.

Finally, take your ads down as soon as you can.  If your property has sold or been rented, no need to keep the ad up.  Don’t give the scammers ammunition.

I have heard stories about those that fall for this scam showing up with a moving van to an already occupied property.  Don’t be one of those folks.  If you feel that something is wrong or off, then it likely is.  Dig deeper before giving your money away.